All is Fair in Love and Sex?
by elegantgoth89
Summary: Draco and Hermione are Head Boy and Girl. What will happen when a drunken night leads to what will become a battle of pranks, jokes and tricks? Will anything more happen? AU- Not compatible with DH. Voldemort NOT involved. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Incessant Bickering

A/N: Hello All! I haven't been on here in a while, I miss it! So, after suffering for a month and a half of writer's block (no joke... it was dreadful) I was FINALLY able to get a new story up... I really don't know how this one is going to progress or if it will at all, so we'll see how it goes. It's going to be short. Only 10 chapters, so hopefully it won't take me longer than a month to complete it. It's supposed to be a comedy/romance but I'm not sure if I can pull it off... it seems I've got a niche for the drama, but I'd like to try writing comedy. So, without further adieu....

Disclaimer: JKR owns characters, the world of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy... pity.

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**All is Fair in Love and… Sex?**

****Chapter One-Incessant Bickering****

It had all started her seventh year of school and it had become one of the most epic battles between two people that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had ever known.

Hermione Jean Granger had gotten her seventh and final Hogwarts letter. Along with her list of books needed for her NEWT level classes, was a beautiful, shining Head Girl badge. Hermione picked up the badge, trying to contain her glee. She had always wanted to be Head Girl. She picked up the small piece of parchment that was enclosed with her badge and read the few words written on it:

_Miss Granger,_

_Congratulations on becoming this year's Hogwarts Head Girl. You will receive further instructions on your duties when you arrive on 1 September. Please meet me after supper in the Great Hall. I will be showing you to your dormitory, as well as briefing you on your responsibilities this upcoming year. _

_Sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall _

_Head Boy Position is held by: Draco Malfoy_

Hermione groaned as she read the name Draco Malfoy. It's not as if she was all that surprised, though. He had been a prefect and his grades were acceptable, much better than Ron's, leastways. Still, she was not looking forward to sharing a dormitory with that blonde-headed, pureblooded bigot. Hermione couldn't remember an encounter with him that hadn't involved the word 'mudblood.'

She was sure she was not the only one who was unhappy about how this had turned out. Hermione could almost hear the little fit Malfoy was having at the prospect of living with her. He wouldn't be the only one to flip out, she was sure. She could just see the looks of fury forming on her friends' faces. Oh well. She was just going to have to learn to put up with him because being Head Girl was something she had wanted since she was eleven years old. No immature feud between two people was going to strip her of that title. There was only one thing left for her to think and that was, this year sure is going to be an interesting one. Little did she know, 'interesting' was a bit of an understatement.

The next day, Hermione said good-bye to her parents and made her way to the Burrow to spend her last day of summer with her two best friends.

She shrank her luggage and placed it safely in her pocket. Having passed her apparition exam, she turned on the spot in her living room disappeared with a loud crack. She arrived in the backyard of one of her favorite places on earth and excitedly walked in the back door.

She announced her presence with a loud, "Hello!"

"Hermione, darling!" came the warm voice of Mrs. Weasley, "We weren't expecting you until later this afternoon!"

"I'm sorry," Hermione replied, "I just got excited and had to get here as soon as possible."

"Don't be sorry, dear. Have you had something to eat yet?"

Hermione nodded and said, "I'm fine. Thank-you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Have you got everything you need for school? I'm heading over to Diagon Alley to fetch supplies for Ron, Harry and Ginny."

"Oh," Hermione said, "I was just going to pop over this evening and buy my things."

"Nonsense, young lady. Give us your list, then!"

Hermione smiled warmly at Mrs. Weasley and handed her the list of supplies she needed along with her tiny bag of money.

"There we go. Now I only need to make one trip." Mrs. Weasley mumbled to herself.

"Thanks, again."

Hermione stood there awkwardly for a moment before Mrs. Weasley came to her senses and said, "Oh! They're all in the field out back playing a little Quidditch."

Hermione nodded and hurried out to the large field where her two best friends and the Weasley clan were waiting. When Hermione arrived at the makeshift Quidditch pitch, Ginny had just shot the Quaffle through one of the hoops, making an already pouting Ron even more upset.

He shouted, "For Merlin's sake, Ginny! Can you throw one that I can actually block? It's not fair."

Hermione yelled, "Well, it means one of two things. Either Ginny is a brilliant chaser or you're a terrible keeper. Frankly, I think we'd all prefer the former."

Fred and George chimed in, "Although, we all know the latter is true."

"Shove off, you two!" seethed Ron, as he and Harry brought their brooms to the ground.

"Hermione!" shouted Harry when he landed, "We weren't expecting you until this afternoon!"

She beamed, giving her best friend a hug, "I know but I couldn't wait. I got excited! Plus, I have some news for the two of you."

"You got it?" asked Ron, pulling her into a hug.

Hermione nodded quickly, pulling out her brand new Head Girl badge.

"Excellent!" said Harry, "You're going to torture Malfoy with that, right?"

Hermione's face fell, "Not exactly."

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, who had been listening in.

Hermione sighed loudly, "Draco Malfoy has been appointed Head Boy."

"Blimey! That sucks!" blurted Ron.

"Very well noticed." snapped Hermione.

Harry said, "This is absurd. You should talk to McGonagall about it."

"Dear Lord, Harry," Hermione huffed, "You really are thick. McGonagall helped appoint him."

Ginny chuckled, then mumbled 'idiot' while shaking her head.

Harry shot Ginny a glare, then said, "Well, are you going to be alright, Herms? You seem rather placid about the whole situation."

Hermione was chewing her bottom lip when she responded, "Well, I don't really see a way out of it. I suppose I'll just have to learn to deal with him."

"Good luck with that," joked Ron. When he saw the look Hermione gave him, he quickly added, "It'll be fine. We promise."

She sighed again, "I sure hope so."

The next day, they were aboard the Hogwarts Express and Hermione was getting nervous. Harry and Ron could tell.

"Don't stress so much, Herms," said Harry, "If he starts to bother you too much, we'll kick his bum for you."

She chuckled and said, "I should be fine, but I appreciate the offer."

Just then they felt the train come to a halt with a lurch.

"Last year of Hogwarts, here we come!" laughed Ron.

The three of them got off the train, smiling at the nervous first years, and made their way to where the carriage pulling thestrals were waiting. As they were walking, Hermione glanced to her left and her eyes landed on the now seventeen year old Malfoy. She had to admit, he had turned into quite a good-looking young man. Without realizing it, she'd stopped in her tracks.

Luna walked up behind her and said, "I've always thought you two would be a good couple."

Hermione looked at her in shock, blinking quickly. Luna just smiled and continued to walk, reading her copy of the Quibbler, the page set on an article about how to fight off a nargle during mating season.

Shaking off what Luna had just said, Hermione turned back to Draco only to find him staring at her. She continued to look at him, determined not to back down.

His eyes narrowed and he shouted, "What are you staring at, mudblood?"

Hermione glared back and replied in a sarcastic tone, "Well, I'm not sure. It's something that looks remarkably similar to an arse, but I can't seem to put my finger on it." She snapped her fingers and said, "Oh! It's you."

Completely unfazed, he snapped, "Were you up all night thinking of that one, Granger?"

She sneered at him.

He snorted, "See you later, mudblood."

With that he continued up the hill, as did Hermione.

She rejoined Ron and Harry and said, "Merlin, this term really is going to suck. I'm going to waste my entire supply of sarcasm on that boy."

Harry gave her a reassuring hug and said, "It'll be alright. If you run out of your own sarcasm, you can borrow some of mine."

"Ha ha ha." Hermione replied dryly.

"Let's get going. I'm starved."

When all the first years had been sorted into their appropriate houses and all the student's bellies were filled with varied assortments of food, Dumbledore stood to address the content witches and wizards.

The light tinkling of cutlery against crystal brought everyone's attention to the Headmaster.

"To our first year students, I would like to say welcome. To our second through sixth years, I would like to say welcome back. Lastly, to our seventh years, I would like to say welcome back for the last time. I have just a few reminders and warnings for you all. The Forbidden Forrest is still, as indicated by its title, forbidden. Mr. Filch has added a few more trinkets to his list of banned items. To look over the list in full, see Mr. Filch. Defense Against the Dark Arts will, once again, be taught by Professor Remus Lupin. The school is fully aware of his condition and proper notifications were sent to your parents before this term started. He is an excellent professor and I'm sure we'll all have a great year. Now, off to bed. Professor McGonagall, they're all yours."

The students heard Professor McGonagall's voice, "Prefects, please lead the students to their selected dormitories and will our Head Boy and Girl please kindly come with me."

Hermione stood slowly with a muttered 'here we go' and walked over to where McGonagall stood waiting. Draco already stood next to the old witch with his classic smirk smacked onto his smug face. Professor McGonagall looked down at them, her mouth in a thin line and said, "Follow me." She turned on her heel and marched away with Draco and Hermione following.

As they were walking down the corridor, Professor McGonagall wasted no time in briefing them of their duties as Head Boy and Girl.

"Every evening one of you, only one, is to patrol the hallways until midnight. Your responsibility in doing this is to ensure that no one is out wandering the corridors in the middle of the night or doing anything outside of appropriate behavior. This, however, does NOT give you license to behave badly or abuse your privileges. You are to use your time patrolling the hallways to do just that, patrol the hallways. Disciplinary action will be taken if you should be caught doing otherwise. Understood? Good.

Next, if you do find a student misbehaving or doing anything that merits a punishment, you may give detention with the permission of a teacher, or you may deduct House Points. Any issue beyond that, please consult a teacher.

On your beds you will find a booklet with a list of all your responsibilities, should you forget-"

Hermione was listening intently to every word that was spoken. Draco, however, was watching Hermione with an amused expression on his face.

He leaned over and whispered, "Don't concentrate so hard, Granger. Relax."

"Shut it, Malfoy," Hermione whispered back, "I'm trying to listen."

"The password to the prefect's bathroom-" came McGonagall's voice.

"_Trying_ to listen? You'd think with those ears, you'd be able to succeed. Besides, you'd be able to listen just fine if you wouldn't respond." He said, with a smirk on his face.

Hermione glared at him, choosing not to retort as McGonagall said, "You should also need to know the password to each of the other hou-"

Malfoy said, "There you go! You _do _know how to listen! It appears you can be taught. This will make things easier."

Hermione huffed, "You know, sarcasm only works when it's shorter."

"Fascinating."

She said, "There you go. Now, maybe you should take a tip from me and keep your mouth shut."

He smirked at her as they continued down the hall.

McGonagall's voice continued, "The Headmaster and I will do monthly evaluations of how well you are doing with your Head Boy and Girl duties."

Apparently, Malfoy couldn't go thirty seconds without doing something. He reached over and grabbed Hermione's hair and started to examine it while Hermione put forth a valiant effort in ignoring him.

After another minute he said, "What's with your hair, Granger? It's looked the same ever since you were eleven."

"The first years are particularly-"

"You're one to talk," snapped Hermione, "If you ever wanted to blind someone, all you'd have to do would be to walk into the sunlight and have them stare at your head."

"Oh no!" he said sarcastically, "You made fun of my hair… how will I ever survive?"

"I'm not sure, seeing as your whole being is wrapped up in your appearance."

"Better my appearance than my brain!" he retorted.

"Confronting your peers can be tricky so-"

"Yeah, mock me because I'm smart. That's clever." she snapped.

Their voices got louder with each statement.

He growled, "Better than anything you could come up with!"

She yelled, "Ugh, just shut up, ferret!"

He shouted, "You shut up, mudblood!"

At that moment, McGonagall rounded on them. Hermione and Draco stopped in their tracks as McGonagall stood in front of them, hands on her hips and tapping her foot.

"To my office, please." She seethed.

She turned on her heel and stalked away, with the two Heads following in silence.

When they arrived, she gestured to two seats in front of her desk before placing herself in the large plush one behind it. Hermione and Draco followed suit.

Hermione couldn't help but get the feeling that she and Draco were already in serious trouble.

McGonagall looked at them over her spectacles and said, "If you two were trying to hide your disdain for each other, consider it my duty to inform you that you both failed miserably."

Draco glanced at Hermione with a half smile on his face. Hermione didn't find this situation funny in the least. She looked at Draco with a look of utter loathing on her face while doing everything in her power not to say 'he started it' to Professor McGonagall.

McGonagall continued, "One of your main responsibilities is to promote inter-house unity. If our Head Boy and Girl cannot get along, how in the world are we supposed to convince all our other students to do so? You must learn to set your differences aside and for Merlin's sake, grow up!"

She stood from behind her desk and walked out of her office.

Hermione looked over at Draco and said, "She's right, you know."

He smirked, "Do I care?"

Hermione sighed, "Why do I even bother?"

Before he could respond, McGonagall stuck her head back in the office and said, "You know, traditionally, one would follow the professor when they leave the room. Do either of you even know where your dormitory is?"

"Sorry, Professor." Responded Hermione as she stood from her seat.

She followed McGonagall out the door, with Draco at her heels. McGonagall led them up to the seventh floor, past the portrait behind which the Room of Requirement lay, and on to a door that you wouldn't be able to see if you didn't know where to look.

"Well, in you go." Said McGonagall.

Draco and Hermione just looked at each other. Neither of them had heard the password earlier when she had said it.

McGonagall smirked, "Maybe if you had been listening to me instead of coming up with not-so-clever ways to insult one another, one of you would have heard it."

Draco was looking at his feet with a smile tugging at his lips and trying not to laugh. Hermione was red in the face from embarrassment and kept murmuring the word 'sorry.'

McGonagall looked down at both of them, shaking her head.

Finally, Hermione squeaked, "Sorry Professor. Would you mind repeating the password, please?"

She smiled and said, "Le Serpent et le Lion."

"The Snake and the Lion?" questioned Hermione, "Isn't that a bit obvious?"

"No."

At those words, the door swung open. Hermione and Draco entered and both gasped. It was the most beautiful room Hermione had ever seen.

The wall directly in front of them was lined entirely with books. There was expensive furniture placed around a fire on top of a nice throw. Straight ahead was a staircase that went up the middle of the room then split into two directions with either staircase leading to two separate rooms.

"There is one last thing to be said," came McGonagall's voice, "This is the first time either of you will be living in a dormitory where the opposite sex is present. There will be no," she paused, "funny business. Though, with you two, I highly doubt that will be a problem. Also, do make sure to read over the booklets on your bed. Neither of you heard anything I was saying earlier. Pity. Good night."

McGonagall left them standing inside their dormitory in an extremely awkward silence.

Unable to stand the silence any longer, Hermione grabbed her things and headed up the stairs towards the room on the left.

"Where do you think you're going, mudblood?" she heard Malfoy's voice sneer.

She turned around and said, "I'm going to unpack my stuff, idiot. Where did you think I'd be going?"

He answered, "What makes you think you get to choose which room you want?"

Exasperated, she said, "Fine. You pick first, you big baby."

"I'm not a baby, I just deserve the better room."

She sighed, "I'm relatively certain that the rooms are identical, just on opposite sides of the dormitory."

He just glared at her and slowly meandered through each of the rooms, settling himself in the room on the right.

When he came back down the stairs, he plopped himself on the couch and said, "Well, are you just going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to unpack you're stuff?"

She blurted, "So, do you have to be an arse to me in the confines of the dormitory as well as in public or can you just be a decent person for once and keep your mouth shut?"

He smirked, "I have no choice but to be an arse to you here because in public, I'd never allow myself to be seen talking to a mudblood. I'd get dirty."

Hermione retorted, "Good. Even if you started talking to me in public, I wouldn't be able to understand you because I don't speak 'stupid' fluently."

"Wow, Granger. When did you grow a pair?"

"Just do us both favour and shut up, Malfoy."

He smirked, "Somehow, I get the feeling I'm going to be hearing that a lot from you this year."

Hermione sighed and headed to her room. Yes, it definitely was going to be a long year.

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A/N 2: Okay, so... the plot is barely developed, so don't give up on this story yet... I've got some funny stuff planned for later chapters. Reviews?


	2. Of Immaturity and Sex

A/N: Well, what can I say? It took me a month and week to update. *pouts* Would it help if I said this past month may very well have been the busiest and most stressful month of my life? Okay, moving on. So, I'm really sorry it took me this long to update. I feel like you're all going to have to reread the first chapter to remember what went on. (That is if I didn't lose all the readers of this story I had gained so far.) Oh, which reminds me: Thanks for the reviews for the first chapter! They all made me smile. Now, a word of warning. There is adult content in this chapter... sex... so, if it's not for you, that's okay. I understand. Also, a lot of the plot is thrown into this chapter and the characters might be a bit out of character. I'm not sure. But, anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: JKR owns all;)

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****Chapter 2- Of Immaturity and Sex****

The next morning, Hermione was at breakfast in the Great Hall with Ron, Harry and Ginny. Before she could so much as look at the food, Harry and Ron began flooding her with questions.

"So, Mione, how was it with Malfoy last night?" asked Ron.

"You both have been dying to talk about this, haven't you?" sighed Hermione.

Harry said, "Sort of. I mean it is Malfoy. We know what a dick he can be. We're just worried about you."

She smirked, "Aw, thanks Harry. That's sweet, but I like dicks."

Harry's eyes grew to the size of saucers, Ginny snorted and Ron said, "Come on, Hermione. That's not cool."

She chuckled, "Sorry. I thought it was funny. Seriously, though, it was fine. I mean, last night was nothing out of the ordinary. It was typical insults and bickering, although, he did touch my hair. I don't know, but I don't think it'll be anything I can't handle. He is a rude little bugger and he certainly knows how to get a rise out of me but even saying that, I think it will be fine."

"It will be," Ginny said, "Honestly, I think everyone is turning it into a way worse situation than it actually is."

"I don't know," said Harry, "I don't like it. If he starts being nice to you Hermione, don't trust him. Anything involving Draco Malfoy means trouble."

"Yeah, Herms," agreed Ron, "I think the fact that he was talking to you at all is weird."

Hermione shrugged, "Well, yeah, but it's not like he was being nice to me. He was making fun of me the whole time. Rather typical of him, actually. I don't think he knows how else to act."

Harry grumbled, "Yeah, sure… defend him."

Hermione looked over at Harry, raised her eyebrows and repeated, "Defend him? What do you mean defend him?"

"It's already happening. One day in and you already can't stop talking about him."

"Hey!" said Hermione, "That's not a fair accusation. You brought him up."

When Harry didn't respond, Hermione stood and said, "Well, I'm going to run back to the dormitory to fetch my books and things. See you both later?"

"Yeah," answered Ron, "Somehow I got roped into taking Potions with the two of you this term."

Hermione smiled at him, "It'll be fun."

"Sure, tons of fun." Sighed Ron.

Ginny piped in, "Come on Ron! Two hours with Snape, a bunch of snotty Slytherins, a Gryffindor know-it-all, the boy-who-lived and a cauldron full of obscure ingredients that may or may not kill you… what's not to like?"

Harry smiled and Hermione chuckled as she waved goodbye and headed back to her dormitory. She arrived on the seventh floor, said the password and walked in to see Pansy Parkinson straddling Draco and passionately kissing him (to say the very least.)

Draco looked at her from behind Pansy's head, pointed to the door and bluntly said, "Get out."

Hermione put her hands on her hips and asked, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Get. Out. I'm busy, in case you couldn't tell."

"I don't care. This is my dormitory as well as yours. If I'm bothering you, then you leave!" said Hermione with impressive force.

Draco pushed Pansy off of him, stood and sneered, "How dare you talk to me like that, you dirty-blooded little twit!"

Hermione scoffed, "Playing the 'mudblood' card again? Come up with something new already."

He smirked, "Alright. You're an ugly, stuck-up know-it-all and if you're not telling someone what to do then you're probably not talking. That also may very well be the number one reason why you're still single."

Pansy chuckled from the couch.

Draco turned to her and said, "You should leave. I'm not really in the mood anymore, if you know what I mean."

Pansy slowly stood up. She proceeded to pout at Draco and then sneer at Hermione.

As she walked towards the door she said to Hermione, "Now look what you did. Pity you were ever born."

Hermione ignored her comment and let her storm out the door.

When she was gone, Hermione said, "I don't know why you bother to insult me all the time. It doesn't do anybody any good."

He shook his head, "That's not true. It gives me an insane amount of pleasure to see the current expression you're wearing be worn repeatedly."

"Whatever. I don't have time for this." Hermione huffed.

She headed up to her room to grab her book bag, books, quill and a roll of parchment. While she was upstairs collecting said items she heard Draco's voice yet again. Good grief, that boy just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

He was shouting, "Well Granger, you've presented me with a bit of a problem."

Hermione walked out of her room and asked, "And what is that?"

"By interrupting me this morning, you've also robbed me of my date. In doing so, I lost my chance at morning sex."

"Am I supposed to care?"

"Yeah. I have two ways of solving this problem." He smirked, "I could take care of it myself or I could just have sex with you."

Hermione froze.

He continued, "Then again… I'd never even consider touching you, no less do something so intimate with you."

"Oh. My. God." Stated Hermione.

Draco smirked, "Now you know what I'll be doing after you leave."

"Good Lord, you're disgusting! At least I don't have to put up with you during the day." Hermione said as she stormed out of the dormitory.

If only that were true. Hermione walked into her Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Ron and Harry by her side only to be greeted by a smirking Malfoy at the back of the room.

Hermione stopped and seethed, "What are you doing in here?"

"Use your brain, Granger. I'm in this class, too."

Hermione exhaled just as Ron said, "Come on, let's sit in the front."

"Yeah," said Harry, "Besides, Professor Lupin is back. We'll want to sit at the front by the end of the lesson anyway, I'm sure."

Hermione nodded.

As they sat, Ron asked, "What did he do to tick you off this time?"

Hermione blushed and quickly explained the incident with Pansy, including what he had said to her.

She finished the story with, "Honestly, I don't get it. His focus used to be on making Harry's life miserable, and then all of a sudden this term, he's turned all his energy on me."

"Damn right, I have," said Draco from behind them, "You're a lot more fun to annoy than scar-head."

Ron said, "Sod off, Malfoy."

"Shut up, Weasley. Nothing you say matters to anyone."

Hermione stood up and seethed, "You leave him out of this, pretty boy."

"What are you going to do about it if I don't, pinecone head?"

Hermione shrugged, "Not sure. Maybe I could try punching you again and see how that goes."

At this point, the whole class was staring at the two of them and Harry was trying to calm Hermione down.

"Hermione, he's not worth the trouble you could get in. The lesson is about to start. Sit down."

"Shut up, Harry." Hermione said, "I'll handle this."

Draco smirked and said, "I'd like to see you try."

He then pushed Hermione's shoulder, effectively infuriating her. Her wand was out in a second and it was pointed directly at his nose.

"You want to try pushing me again, Malfoy?" she asked.

"Hey," said Seamus, "You guys should really-"

"SHUT UP!" said Draco and Hermione simultaneously, their eyes never breaking contact.

Just then, Draco leaned forward and again pushed Hermione's shoulder. She lowered her wand and pushed him back, which was followed by him pushing her again. After about five seconds, the two of them were hitting each other everywhere they could reach and the scene was highly reminiscent of a fight between two ten year old girls.

The entire class was wearing expressions that screamed 'what a pair of retarded idiots.' If Hermione had not been currently engaged in what shouldn't rightfully be called a fistfight, she would have seen Professor Lupin walk in, smirk and send a Patronus to Professor McGonagall.

Some five minutes later and Hermione was shouting, "Stop hitting me!"

"You stop hitting me!" came Draco's reply.

The next minute, the whole class saw as Professor McGonagall walked up behind them and grabbed one of each of their ears, pinching them, hard. Simultaneously, Draco and Hermione stopped hitting each other but were now consistently saying 'ow.'

McGonagall still had a solid grip on their ears as she nodded to Professor Lupin and dragged them out of the classroom saying, "To my office, please!"

Hermione was utterly humiliated as an irate Professor McGonagall dragged her and Draco down the hall with numerous students staring and laughing. McGonagall did not relinquish hold of their ears until they did in fact reach her office.

When she finally let go, Hermione looked over at Draco and sneered, "If I get detention Malfoy, I'm going to kill you!"

"Enough," said the infuriated Transfiguration Professor. "Take a seat, both of you!"

After the two Heads had sat, she continued, "I'm appalled at your behavior! What were the two of you thinking acting like that in the middle of class?"

Hermione and Draco looked at each other and then both started talking at once, making everything they were saying incoherent.

"Shush! I don't need excuses! Now, I want the both of you to apologize to Professor Lupin for interrupting his lesson in such a fashion and fifty points will be taken from each of your houses."

"But-"

"No 'buts' Miss Granger. That is my final decision. I expect no more behavior like this from either of you ever again, are we clear?"

"Crystal." said Draco.

McGonagall nodded, "You are dismissed."

Hermione walked out of McGonagall's office and said, "See Malfoy, now look what you've done!"

"This isn't my fault. What's the big deal anyways? It's only house points."

"The 'big deal' is we are the Head Boy and Girl. You shouldn't start crap with me like that!" she yelled.

"I didn't start it!" he shouted back.

"Yes you did! You made fun of Ron!" she retorted.

"Well, excuse me for doing the same thing I've done for six years! Besides, you didn't have to react to it!" he said.

"I…." she couldn't find a thing to say.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, Miss 'You shouldn't start crap with me!'"

"Ugh, just get out of my way." She said as she pushed past him.

"Don't push me!" he said.

He then reached out and pulled on her hair.

Hermione screamed, "OUCH! What the hell Draco! Let go!"

"Not until you apologize for bumping into me just now."

Hermione had no idea what had gotten into her, because what she did next was so not like her. She reached out and pinched the arm that had a hold of her hair.

"OUCH!" shouted Draco, "That hurts! Let go!"

"NO!" screeched Hermione, "You let go!"

Just then, Professor McGonagall came out of her office and said with a calm that was almost eerie, "Back into my office, please."

Neither of them moved. McGonagall sighed quite loudly and slapped each of their hands.

She said, "Honestly, how old are the two of you? We need to teach you to learn to act your age. Detenion, both of you. Friday in my office."

She waved her hand and sent them away. Just as they were rounding the corner, Professor Dumbledore walked up to McGonagall and smiled.

She said, "I don't know what you were thinking making the two of them Head Boy and Girl."

The Headmaster's eyes sparkled as he said, "Alas, neither do I. Although, sometimes our very best results come from decisions that were not thought through."

With that, he popped a lemon drop into his mouth and walked away.

The next day and the incident between Hermione and Draco was the talk of the school. Everyone seemed to be excited about the topic, save Hermione and Harry.

Ron was speaking animatedly to Dean, who had not been present, "It was the craziest thing, he shoved her and then she shoved him back!"

Harry rolled his eyes and asked Hermione, "What's gotten into you? What happened yesterday isn't like you at all. You're much smarter than you acted yesterday."

Hermione looked down at her plate of food, "I know. I don't know what it is about him that ticks me off so much. I feel like I always have to prove him wrong or something."

"Well, learn to control your temper. We should just not talk about Draco for a while. He's a boring subject already."

Hermione nodded.

Unfortunately for Harry, during the next few weeks, all Hermione could talk about was Draco. She shared everything that happened with her two best friends, never catching on that whenever she mentioned Draco, Harry would get uncharacteristically quiet.

Next thing Hermione knew and a month had passed. She, Ron and Harry were walking down to Hogsmeade for the first Hogsmeade visit of the year.

Hermione was complaining to them about the latest thing Draco had done to effectively tick her off saying, "I swear, the boy is infuriating! All he ever does is challenge me with everything. I'll be damned if he doesn't disagree with me just because I said it."

"Can we please stop talking about Draco?" asked Harry. "He's all we ever talk about and I'm getting annoyed with it."

Hermione was taken aback. She timidly asked, "I don't talk about him all the time, do I?"

She looked at Ron who just shrugged, so she looked at Harry.

"Yeah, you do. It's always Draco did this and Draco did that and Draco got me detention and Draco got me in trouble and Draco blah blah blah!"

"Well, I just thought-"

"No, Hermione. I'm so sick of hearing about that blonde-haired idiot. I just… leave me alone, okay. I'm just going to hang out by myself today."

Harry turned and stalked off.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione shouted after him.

"Fuck-off Hermione!" she heard him say.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She turned to look at Ron and found herself staring at Lavender Brown glued to Ron's lips. She didn't even know when Lavender had walked up. To be honest, the speed from which Ron had gone from standing there alone to kissing was quite impressive. Still…

Hermione sniffed, "Ron?"

He looked down at Lavender then back at Hermione and said, "Sorry, Hermione. I'm spending the day with Lavender. Bye."

He continued down the street with a smiling Lavender wrapped around his arm.

Hermione stood in shock for a few moments for that was the first time in a long time that her two best friends had abandoned her. Not knowing what else to do, Hermione found herself seated at the bar of the Three Broomsticks with a butterbeer in her hand. She was thinking about what a crazy direction her life had turned ever since the term had started. Harry wasn't talking to her, Ron ditched her, she'd gotten house points taken away from her, she'd been to detention and the cause of it all was some stupid boy who enjoyed humiliating her.

Just then she heard Malfoy's voice say, "Go away, Pansy!"

Hermione mumbled to herself, "Speaking of the devil…"

She looked behind her and saw Draco entering the Three Broomsticks, kicking an overly clingy Pansy off of him. Hermione smiled at the sight and turned back to her glass of butterbeer. Five minutes later and Draco had apparently gotten rid of Pansy. She saw him sit a few seats away from her and order two shots of firewhiskey from the bartender.

He looked over at her and sarcastically asked, "Long day, Granger?"

She sighed and said, "Can't you just leave me alone?"

He completely ignored her question and instead he said, "Merlin, Granger. You're drinking a butterbeer? Really? Drink a real drink for Christ's sake."

She sneered, "I don't drink hard liquor."

He raised his eyebrows at her and said, "Yeah, you're right. You probably couldn't handle it anyway, pussy."

Hermione knew he was just bating her, but the competitor inside her was dying to prove him wrong.

She look at the bartender and said, "One shot of firewhiskey, please."

As soon as it was in front of her, she threw it down and said, "There, I drank it."

"What, do you want a cookie or something? It was just one shot."

He quickly drank his two and asked the bartender for two more, which he slammed instantly.

The bartender asked, "Would you just like the bottle?"

Draco nodded and slid it over to Hermione who grabbed it and poured another shot.

She drank it and said, "There."

He smirked, "Good for you, but you're still two behind from me."

He poured another shot and said, "Three."

"Why is everything always a competition with you?" she shouted, slamming another shot.

"You always start it!" he shouted backing, swallowing two shots.

"I do not! Why does it matter to you, anyway?" she asked, matching his two shots.

"Because, I'll never be equal to a mudblood. I'm better than you." he retorted, taking three more shots and making the total ten.

She took one shot then said, "It's funny then, that you always have trouble beating me. Besides, this wasn't even about that. You said I wouldn't be able handle it and well, I handled it, so thank you very much!"

She quickly drank the four more shots that would allow her to equal the ten that Draco had taken and stood from the bar to leave.

Neither of them had the slightest comprehension of just how drunk they were, for as soon as Hermione was upright, she immediately toppled to the ground.

"Ha, Granger!" shouted Malfoy, "You can't hold your liquor! I win!"

He pointed at her while laughing and made to stand and leave. However, when he tried, he followed in Hermione's footsteps and fell down right next to her.

"Hehehehe," Hermione giggled drunkenly, "You're not doing so hot, yourself."

"Bullshit. I'm fine." He mumbled, right before letting out a loud belch.

"Pssh!" said Hermione, waving her hand in the air, "You're not fine. You're… unfine."

"Is that even a word?" he wondered aloud.

"Sure it is. I said it!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Why are you still here?" she asked him, unable to move.

"Just staying to make sure you're okay." He blurted.

"That's not true!" she said, extremely high-pitched, "You hate me! You just can't stand up. Ha ha ha!"

"Na-uh!"

"Get off your ass and leave, then." She challenged.

He giggled, "My ass? Sounds like sexual harassment to me."

She raised her eyebrows at him and asked, "Now why on earth would I sexually harass you?"

He rolled over so his face was an inch away from hers before he answered, "Because you want me, Granger."

"Na-uh, Malfoy, you're dru-"

Hermione's words were cut off by Draco's lips upon her. It was a swift kiss, his lips touching hers for only a second or two. Hermione lay on the floor, her hair askew and her face flushed pink from too much liquor. She took a few deep breaths and tried to steady herself, her eyes never leaving Draco's. Just as he began to pull away, Hermione reached up and pulled his face back down, reconnecting their lips.

How they got back to their dormitory, Hermione never found out, but the next thing she knew, she and Draco were up against his door, her legs wrapped around his waist and kissing like there was no tomorrow. Draco's hand found the door handle and the door swung open. He stumbled over to the bed and threw Hermione on it. As soon as he did, Hermione grabbed him and pulled him down next to her. His found the bottom of her shirt and lifted it off of her.

Just as his hand landed on her breast, she stopped kissing him and breathlessly asked, "Malfoy, are we really going to do this?"

He took one quick glance at her lace bra and said, "Oh hell yeah," before kissing her once again.

Hermione's hands drifted down to Draco's pants as he focused on her extremely perky breasts. She unbuckled his trousers with remarkable coordination (considering her drunken state) and pulled them off. Once his pants were on the floor and she had successfully removed his boxers, she stumbled off of the bed.

Draco looked at her questioningly and asked, "What are you doing?"

Not entirely herself, Hermione smirked and seductively whispered, "You're about to find out."

She knelt to the ground and covered his length with her mouth, bringing Draco insane amounts of pleasure. When he was near his own release, she stopped and was pleased to hear a groan of disapproval from Draco. Hermione stood and made to remove her still buckled jeans. Draco beat her to it, though, fully undressing her with impressive speed. Unable to wait any longer, he shoved her against the wall as hard as he could, reconnecting their lips and easily sliding into her. Hermione's hands were gripping Draco's back as he thrust into her repeatedly, moving at a steady pace. She wrapped her legs around him and did her best to match his rhythm. As he pushed harder and harder the pace quickened, the intensity increased and he came inside her with a loud groan. Hermione's release came seconds after, leaving the two of them in synchronized bliss. As they came down from their orgasms, they slowly sank down to the floor.

After a few minutes, Hermione looked over at Draco who was wearing a very confused expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You should go." he responded in a cold tone.

Hermione was still fuzzy-minded from the liquor and didn't quite comprehend what he had said.

She asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean you should leave. Now."

She nodded, "Yeah, I heard that but… why?"

He said, "Because I don't want you to think we're dating or something and get all attached."

"Um… date you? Absolutely not, but-"

"See, there it is," he interrupted, "the 'but'!"

She sighed, "All I was going to say was _but _don't you think after we, well… that, we could at least be friends?"

"No, Granger. Nothing's different. You don't mean anything to me. I used you, got it?"

Hermione's head was starting to pound.

She repeated, "Used me?"

He was shouting now, "Yeah. I used you. You know… you were a quick fuck. A mistake. A drunken accident! Something no one must ever find out about. I'm not sure how many other ways I can put it."

Hermione was hurt, to say the least. She just sat on the floor in shock. Now all she could think of was how stupid she was to have let this happen. She had let herself get played.

Draco's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, "What are you still doing here? GET OUT!"

When she still didn't move, he stood, grabbed her arm and dragged her to the door.

"Maybe I'm still really drunk, but I just don't understand." Hermione whimpered, still naked.

"Don't you get it?" Draco explained, "You're the worst mistake I've ever made. What kind of pureblood gets drunk and fucks a mudblood?"

With that, he slammed the door in her face. Tears welled up in her eyes and she stood to go to her room. She quickly got dressed and walked out of the common room, intent on repaying the bastard…

The next day, Hermione rolled out of bed with a hangover that could slay a walrus. As she came to consciousness and was no longer clouded with sleep, her recollections of the previous night came floating back to her. She remembered her fight with Harry, Ron walking off with Lavender, a LOT of fire whiskey, Draco and… SEX! Oh Dear Merlin, she slept with Malfoy. She then remembered him kicking her out of his room and calling her a mistake or something along those lines.

She looked over at her clock and saw the time. Her first lesson was in twenty minutes. She rolled out of bed and changed clothes, brushed her teeth and headed to her class. When she was on the third floor, she saw Malfoy coming towards her. There he was, walking down the hallway, the epitome of powerhouse suit wearers and ass-hole of the century.

As he passed her, he said, "What's up, mistake?"

Hermione's eyebrows crinkled into an offended frown and he chuckled when he saw her expression. Draco Malfoy or not, that was mean. Thankfully, Hermione had, in her drunken state, gotten him back… and then some. When she saw him disappear around the corner, she quietly began to follow him. She knew that by following him she would miss her first lesson of the day, but seeing his reaction to what she did would be well worth it.

When they had reached the second floor, Hermione witnessed the tear-stained face of Pansy Parkinson walk up to Draco and shout, "Is it true?"

Draco looked utterly confused as he asked, "Is what true?"

Pansy was in absolute hysterics. She cried, "How could you do this to me?"

Draco looked at Crabbe and Goyle, who were standing behind Pansy and asked, "Do either of you two numb-nuts know what she's going on about?"

"We're not talking to you." Crabbe blurted.

"Right," said Draco, "That'll make things simpler."

Pansy was now on the floor in a puddle of her own bodily fluids and muttering incomprehensibly.

A revolted Draco squatted next to her and said, "I really don't know what you're talking about, Pansy."

"How have you not seen it yet?" she screeched, "The whole school has seen it!"

"Well, apparently not, because I haven't!" retorted a now extremely annoyed Draco.

She stood up and whimpered, "Follow me. I'll show you."

Hermione followed as Pansy led Draco to the entryway by the Great Hall. She hid behind a stone statue and quietly watched.

There on the wall were written the words "DRACO MALFOY: SO DESPERATE, HE FUCKED A MUDBLOOD!" in big, bold letters.

Draco pointed at the wall and shouted, "Oh my God!"

Pansy's eyes got huge as she yelled, "It IS true! You bastard!"

Shortly after, Pansy's hand had connected with his cheek in a powerful slap. She gave him on last look and stormed off in the opposite direction.

It was all Hermione could do not to laugh at that very moment. Instead, she waited for the wrath she knew was coming.

Sure enough, from her hiding spot, she heard, "HERMIONE-WHATEVER-THE-BLOODY-HELL-YOUR-MIDDLE-NAME-IS-GRANGER, WHERE THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU?"

Hermione stepped out from behind her statue and casually waved as his eyes landed on her. The ground shook as he walked over to her. Unfortunately, she couldn't shake the smile that was stuck to her face and she was sure it was only pissing him off more.

"What the hell, Hermione? Why did you do that? That is so fucked up!" he yelled at her.

She glared at him, all jokes aside and hissed, "You could have said, 'let's not do this again' or 'it probably wasn't very wise of us to have done this' but calling me the worst mistake you've ever made and kicking me out of your room whilst I'm naked and seconds after… _that's _fucked up!"

"You're mad because of that?" he asked.

Hermione stared at him incredulously and said, "DUH! You mess with me, that's what you get, ferret!"

"Yeah," he said sarcastically, "Because writing_ that_ on the wall is the same thing as what I did to you! My friends won't even talk to me and you should see how pissed Pansy is!"

Hermione chuckled then said, "I know. I did see."

"You saw?"

"Yeah. She's got quite a slap, doesn't she?"

He took a deep breath and said, "You better leave right now before I-"

She smirked, "Before you what,-"

He interrupted her in a stone cold voice, "Seriously. Leave."

"Fine."

She looked him up and down, turned on her heel and walked right into Professor McGonagall. Upon impact, Hermione stumbled backwards but McGonagall stood still as a stone statue.

A most familiar phrase came out of her mouth, "To my office, please."

For the third time that month, Hermione and Draco followed an extremely angry and no doubt exasperated Professor McGonagall to her office.

When they got to her office, McGonagall took a seat behind her desk and said, "You know the drill."

When Hermione and Draco had taken their seats as well, she began to speak.

"You know, I'm not really quite sure why behavior like this has continued since this would be the third time I've had you two in my office this term. Perhaps revoking your positions as Head Boy and Girl would be an appropriate punishment, but seeing as I've been instructed not to do so by the Headmaster, I'll have to think of something else. Now, would either of you like to share why something so vulgar has been written upon the walls of the school?"

Hermione was staring at her feet as she said, "No, ma'am."

McGonagall looked over at Draco and asked, "Do you have anything to say?"

A still infuriated Draco looked over at Hermione, smirked and said, "Professor, I'm terribly sorry but I have nothing to do with this. You see, she's been throwing herself at me ever since term began and I've been using nothing but sheer force of will to keep her nymphomaniac attempts of sex at bay. This is obviously her way of drawing attention to the fact that she wants to do me."

Hermione's chin had hit the floor, her eyes had become the size of grapefruits and she was turning a color that only the word fuchsia could accurately describe.

McGonagall's voice was ice cold as she asked, "Hermione Jean Granger, what _is _the matter with you?"

Draco turned to Hermione, crossed his arms and delightedly repeated, "Yes, what is the matter with you?"

Hermione looked back at McGonagall, horror written all over her face.

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A/N 2: So, I don't know what you guys are going to think about that chapter, but I'm anxious to find out. Was it funny? *sigh* Review please???


	3. Having Sex Makes Things Complicated

A/N: Hello everyone! I can't even begin to express how sorry I am for how long it took to update. Three months is a ridiculously long time to have to wait and you will have my deepest gratitude for reading this chapter if you've chosen to stick with this story. (To be honest, I would have forgotten all about it if it were me.) Anyway, maybe not giving you a set time as to when I'm going to update next will be more appropriate. I hope you all had a wonderfully Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy this chapter :D

Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter. Lucky woman, or brilliant woman, depending on how you choose to see it. ;)

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****Chapter 3- Having Sex Makes Things Complicated****

Hermione looked back at McGonagall, horror written all over her face and sputtered, "Professor, you cannot possibly believe that that's true! It's me we're talking about here."

"Indeed, Miss Granger. I am not a fool and it would not be very prudent of me to assume that these goings on are all your fault." She narrowed her eyes at Malfoy and continued, "In fact, I am just wise enough to know that there are events that have happened that neither of you have revealed to me," she paused, "and by the color of your cheeks, Miss Granger, and the smirk on your face, Mr. Malfoy, I'm not entirely sure I want to know what they are. Still, that's not my job so I shall press on. Would either of you care to tell me the real reason you two are behaving as such?"

Hermione looked at Draco, then back at McGonagall before saying, "I'm not really sure, Professor. We've always fought, ever since we've known each other."

McGonagall nodded, "Any particular reason the bickering escalated to school vandalism?"

Hermione cleared her throat and said, "That is my fault, Professor. I got in a rather nasty disagreement with Malfoy yesterday and I wanted to get back at him by humiliating him. I thought, what would be more humiliating to a pureblood than what I wrote. I didn't really consider the consequences at the time."

McGonagall said, "Oh, I see. Now, was this disagreement before or after you were seen being carried back to the castle astride Mr. Malfoy with your faces glued together?"

"Oh dear Merlin! They saw?" shrieked Hermione.

"Excuse me, 'they'?" asked Draco.

McGonagall shook her head, "No, not 'they'."

"Who, then?" asked Hermione.

"You?" asked Draco, pointing to McGonagall.

"No."

"Who?" repeated Hermione.

"Me." Said a voice from behind.

Draco shut his eyes, sighed and mumbled a very quiet obscenity that began with the letter f, for behind him was the last person on earth he wanted to find out.

He slowly turned around and in a voice of utmost respect said, "Good morning, Father."

Hermione had no idea what Malfoy's father was doing there but she knew it couldn't be a good thing for Draco. At that moment, she felt a twinge of pity for the blonde teenager sitting next to him.

Mr. Malfoy nodded curtly and said, "Son."

Just then, professor Snape glided in, his robes billowing behind him.

He drawled, "Minerva, I believe you asked to see me?"

She smiled and nodded in Mr. Malfoy's direction.

Professor Snape smirked and said, "Lucius! How very wonderful to see you. Unfortunate you had to miss our luncheon appointment yesterday."

"Likewise, Severus. Quite to my displeasure, there were things witnessed that required my immediate attention."

He glanced down at his son and Hermione watched as Draco actually cowered in fear.

Mr. Malfoy continued, "Perhaps we should reschedule."

Snape nodded, "Of course."

Professor McGonagall said, "Well, Severus, I called you in here because last night Mr. Malfoy here brought it to my attention that he witnessed Hermione and Draco kissing while walking up to the castle. There are no school rules that prohibit such behavior as long as it does not cause a disturbance to others. Lucius told me he followed them to their dormitory and of course, when he tried to get in, the portrait would not grant him access. This morning, Mr. Malfoy informed me that he went to your office last night and that you were not present."

Snape shook his head, "Last night was the first night of the full moon cycle. I was delivering the Wolfsbane Potion to Professor Lupin last night."

McGonagall nodded, "I thought as much. Well, this morning the whole school awoke to that horrible graffiti written on the wall. I presume you saw it?" Snape nodded and she continued, "So the only reason I called you in here was to discuss the issue of appropriate disciplinary actions."

"Of course," said Snape, "I believe one hundred house points, a week's worth of detention and a letter home would be quite appropriate. There was a profanity included in the graffiti."

McGonagall nodded, "That seems suitable."

At this point, Hermione was positively crying her eyes out. She'd never done anything so stupid in her entire life and now her parents were going to find out about it, too.

Snape then said, "I really don't know why Draco should be punished. As far as I can tell, he did nothing wrong."

"Well, I don't kn-"

"Minerva, unless kissing has suddenly become against the rules at this school, Draco was not in the wrong. I rather doubt he would write anything like that himself."

McGonagall looked at Draco and asked, "Was there any truth to what was written, Draco?"

He glanced at Hermione and slowly shook his head.

McGonagall said, "Very well. Miss Granger, I'm not sure what has gotten into you lately, but I don't like it. One hundred points shall be deducted from your house, I shall be writing your parents and I'll see you in my office, tonight, seven o'clock sharp."

Hermione sniffed loudly and nodded.

She was just standing to dismiss herself when Lucius said, "Your parents, Miss Granger. Muggles, aren't they?"

She nodded.

He stuck his nose in the air and said, "Hmm, pity." He turned to McGonagall and said, "Minerva, I'm going to require Draco for the rest of the week. Is it going to be a problem if he misses lessons for that long?"

Draco's eyes revealed terror to the room. He said, "I'm sorry, Father. This is a very crucial time. Lots of projects and things due."

Professor McGonagall said, "Well, Draco, if you're father requires your attention then it's not up to me to deprive him of it. Lucius, I'm sure I can work something out with the Headmaster."

Lucius politely tilted his head and smoothly said, "Thank you. Draco, come."

Draco stood and followed his father out the door but not before shooting Hermione a look that screamed 'I'm going to get you back for this.' Get her back for what, exactly, Hermione didn't quite understand. He shouldn't be mad. He didn't even get punished. Still, she didn't like the way Draco's father looked at him, or the way Draco looked when Draco's father looked at him. Something wasn't right.

She looked at McGonagall and asked, "So am I free to go?"

"Yes, Miss Granger. Remember, my office, seven o'clock."

Hermione nodded, "Seven o'clock. Got it."

She hurried out the door just in time to see Draco and his father disappearing behind a corner. She quietly tiptoed after them, praying to God they wouldn't turn around. Now, more than ever, she wished she had Harry's invisibility cloak. She saw Mr. Malfoy pull Draco into an empty classroom and shut the door. She sidled over and quietly pressed her ear to the door.

She heard Mr. Malfoy growl, "What is wrong with you, Son? You didn't honestly think you could get away with a stunt like that, did you?"

She then heard a spell being uttered, a loud crash and Draco whimpering quite loudly.

"I'm sorry, Father. I didn't do it on purpose. I was impaired."

"Impaired?" Lucius roared, "Impaired by what, exactly?"

Draco quietly answered, "Liquor."

There was a brief pause and then, "Liquor. Of course."

"Father, don't!"

Hermione heard the sound of flesh on flesh, presumably a hand to a cheek. Poor kid, that was the second time he had been slapped that day.

Mr. Malfoy shouted, "Don't you 'Father, don't' me, boy! I'll do whatever I please. Now, was there any truth to that statement written on the wall?"

There was a long pause.

"Answer me, Draco and do not even consider lying. Believe me, I shall know if you do."

This was answered by another very long pause.

Draco must have nodded or indicated in some way that it was true because she heard Draco's father say, "Disgrace, Draco. That's all you have ever contributed to this family. Let's go. We'll arrange the rest of your punishment at home."

Hermione heard the sound of footsteps quickly approaching the door. She looked to the left and to the right, trying to decide which way was best to go. Just in time, she ducked behind a statue not three feet from the door of the classroom and tried to make herself invisible.

As Draco and his father left, he said, "When I get back, I'm going to kill that stupid mudblood bitch."

"You have my full approval, son. That is, if you get back in one piece."

Hermione inhaled and Draco turned around. Their eyes connected and Draco shook his head in disgust before turning back and continuing after his father.

As soon as they were out of sight, Hermione got up and was intent on finding Ron and Harry. She needed to tell them what had happened, especially before wild rumors reached their ears. She heard the giant clock chime noon and she panicked. Much to her dismay, she had missed her first two lessons of the day and it was already time for lunch. That meant Harry and Ron would be in the Great Hall. She made it to the entrance to see a very upset Filch yelling at Professor Lupin and pointing at the still visible graffiti on the wall.

"Honest to Merlin, Professor. It won't come off. There's got to be some kind of spell on it. I've tried everything."

At these words, Hermione blushed. She had forgotten about the anti-removal charm she had put on it the night before. She very discreetly waved her wand and removed the charm, making it so that it could be cleaned.

"Watch, Professor. I'll show you."

Filch climbed up the high ladder and placed his brush on one of the letters and started scrubbing. The letters washed off with ease.

Professor Lupin turned around and walked off, but not before saying, "That's what I thought."

Filch stood open-mouthed and gaping.

He shouted after him, "Someone did something! It wasn't coming off!" He looked down at Mrs. Norris and continued, "You believe me, my sweet."

Hermione smiled, continued into the Great Hall and scanned the room for Ron and Harry. She found the two of them sitting with Ginny and talking animatedly.

She carefully approached them and said, "Hey."

Ginny looked up and said, "Hey! Where have you been? We didn't see you for dinner last night and Lavender told us you didn't turn up for lessons this morning. What happened?"

Hermione swallowed and felt her cheeks flush pink. She should have prepared a speech to inform them of these recent occurrences. It would be a right side better than just blurting to her best friends that she got drunk and slept with Draco. Unfortunately, Harry figured it out.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and said, "It was you, wasn't it?"

"What was me?" Hermione sputtered.

"Don't play stupid, Hermione. You know what I'm talking about."

"Hey," Ginny intervened, "What's going on?"

Ron said, "Better stay out of this one, Ginny."

"Come on, Hermione," seethed Harry, "Just admit it!"

Hermione was close to tears as she blurted, "Yeah, well it's your fault I did! If you hadn't yelled at me yesterday in Hogsmeade, none of this would have happened!"

"Excuse me?" yelled Harry, incredulously, "How exactly did my yelling at you cause this?"

"Cause what?" Ginny shouted.

Harry pointed at Hermione and shouted, "She had sex with Malfoy last night!"

Hermione didn't look around to see who had heard, but quickly took a seat between the now choking Ron and wide-eyed Ginny.

She slammed her fists on the table and harshly whispered, "Say it louder, would you. I think there's a mermaid in the lake who didn't quite hear you."

"Whatever. It's not like the whole school doesn't know already. What I can't figure out is why Malfoy would parade it around like that."

Ginny chuckled, "You don't honestly believe Malfoy is the one who wrote that on the wall?" She then turned to Hermione and continued, "I can't believe you're the one who did that!"

Hermione blushed, "I… well… I was drunk. It was an accident. I really wasn't intending to sleep with him."

At this point, Ron was positively dying, and yet somehow, no one was paying him any heed.

Ginny, still ignoring her choking brother asked Hermione, "Malfoy, eh? So, how was he?"

If possible, Hermione turned an even darker shade of red. Harry was staring at the two of them open-mouthed and speechless and Ron was now blue in the face and looked about ready to pass out.

Ron managed to say, "Please don't answer that question."

Hermione and Ron had been a couple and they had engaged in acts of a sexual nature while they were together. Then, at the end of their sixth year, they had broken up after dating for only a couple of months, obviously making the topic of sex uncomfortable for them. Needless to say, they remained friends, but Hermione still harbored a few bad feelings towards him. He had, after all, broken up with her to get back with Lavender.

So, just to spite Ron, she looked at Ginny and pointedly answered, "Fantastic! Best sex I ever had."

"Why, Hermione? Why?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, how is that helpful?" asked Harry, "It's stuff like that. That's what's been irritating me about you lately. That isn't like you."

That's when Hermione snapped, "No, it's not like me, Harry, but a lot of things I've done in the past twenty four hours aren't 'like me.' Getting drunk isn't like me. Having sex with Draco isn't like me. Declaring it to the world isn't like me, Harry, but you know what? I don't care anymore! Seeing as my best friends hate me because I talk about Malfoy all the time and seeing as I have a week's worth of detention because I slept with Malfoy and seeing as McGonagall is writing a letter to my parents about it, I think the sex with Malfoy had better damn well have been the best sex I ever had, alright!"

Hermione did not realize how loudly she was shouting, but now that the entire Great Hall was staring at her, it was plainly clear to her.

"Great! Now the whole damn school really _does_ know!"

She put her face in her hands and began to cry. She then felt three pairs of hands on her back and a gentle kiss on her head.

She heard Harry's voice, "I'm sorry, Herms. I didn't mean to be so harsh."

Ron asked, "You got a week's worth of detention?"

Ginny chimed, "And a letter home?"

Hermione nodded and miserably replied, "Yes. I don't know what's come over me. Everything just happened so fast."

Ginny said, "Well, then you stop dwelling on what has already happened and focus on making it right again. Do your Head Girl duty and just pretend Malfoy doesn't even exist, alright?"

Harry chimed in, "Yeah, and I'll get off your back about everything. I promise."

Hermione smiled at her friends and said, "Ron, if it makes you feel any better, he didn't last anywhere near as long as you could. I mean, he was drunk and I'm sure if he was sober he wouldn't have, you know… quite so quickly but…"

"Is that really necessary?" Ron interrupted.

She smirked, "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

Ron asked, "So, where is Malfoy anyway?"

"Oh my! I completely spaced it!"

Hermione then told Harry, Ron and Ginny what she had heard between Malfoy and his father.

"What do you think Mr. Malfoy is going to do?" asked Ginny.

"I don't know," said Harry, "but I think it's safe to assume that we now know why Malfoy is such a jerk."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

Hermione answered, "He means that maybe Malfoy is the way he is because his father is that way. That is to say, maybe Draco just wants his father's approval. I myself have a hard time believing that, though."

"Why?"

"Well, look at Harry. He's not a dick and he grew up with the Dudley's."

Harry chuckled, "Well, thanks Mione."

She smiled at him and said, "Personally, after what he did to me last night, I hope his father kills him."

Ron said, "I couldn't agree more, but I was wondering if we could just move off the topic of you and Malfoy getting busy. It makes me uncomfortable."

Ginny turned to Hermione and said, "So, a week's worth of detention, huh? Who with?"

"McGonagall. It shouldn't be that bad, right?"

Nobody said anything.

She continued, "What? I've only had detention twice. How bad could it be?"

"I don't know, Herms. McGonagall is pretty strict. I think you should be fine, though. She likes you."

Ginny nodded reassuringly, then said, "Come on. Our next lessons are near each other. We'll walk together."

Hermione stood, waved good-bye to the boys and followed Ginny out of the Great Hall.

The second they were out of sight, Ginny rounded on Hermione and said, "So, what was it like, really?"

Hermione said, "Excuse me?"

"What was Malfoy like, you know, in bed?"

"Umm, why do you want to know?" she asked, confused.

Ginny giggled, "You've become a member of an exclusive club. All the girls in this school would die to get it on with him and only a few actually get to."

Hermione was appalled, "I never wanted to sleep with him! Have you met Draco? He's a complete ass!"

She nodded, "Yeah, I've met him and he is an ass, but have you seen Draco? He's a complete fox!"

"Sure, he's a fox, but I'd rather have an ugly non-ass, then a good-looking ass." Hermione paused, "That didn't come out right."

Ginny chortled, "No, it really didn't. Seriously, though, how was he?"

Hermione sighed, "The sex was fine and I was just trying to make Ron feel better when I said he was quick but…"

"But?"

"He's mean."

Hermione proceeded to tell Ginny what he had done to her after he slept with her and why she had seen fit to write what she did on the wall.

All Ginny could seem to say was, "Oh. My. God. What a jerk."

"I know, right!"

Ginny continued, "I mean, you sort of expect that behavior from Malfoy but it's still shocking when he actually comes through and does it. Well, if anything else happens, let me know and I think you should tell Harry and Ron as well."

Hermione nodded, "See you later and thanks for listening."

She waved goodbye and headed off to her next lesson.

Hermione made it through the rest of her lessons, not without difficulty though. Everywhere she went, she got stares from random peers and she was finally beginning to realize what it was like to be Harry. Finally, seven o'clock rolled round and she headed off to her second detention of the year.

She knocked on McGonagall's office door and waited for the witch to answer. The door swung open and McGonagall invited her in.

"Miss Granger. You're quite on time. Have a seat."

"Thank you, Professor."

Hermione sat. She looked up at McGonagall and waited for her to speak.

Professor McGonagall removed her glasses, laced her fingers and said, "Miss Granger, you are one of the smartest students I have ever had the privilege to teach, which is one of the many reasons I recommended you as Head Girl this year. Quite frankly, your behavior this term thus far, has not reflected it. Surely you, of all people, could come up with a much cleverer way to get back at Malfoy than what you did."

"I know, Professor. I'm not myself at all. I really don't kno…. Wait, what?"

Professor McGonagall smirked, "Now, I myself would never advise you to behave in such a manner, but since the Headmaster has given me strict instructions to not revoke your post as Head Girl and since I know what a headache Draco Malfoy can be, I would not be remiss to say, if you're not going to give it your all, then don't even bother doing it at all."

Hermione didn't really know what to say so she stuttered, "Umm, thank you."

"Now, the issue of your detention. You did nothing deserving of great punishment so I thought it fit to issue you lines. I also have other matters occupying my time so the ink and parchment are waiting for you on your desk in my classroom. The door will open on its own when it is time for you to leave."

Hermione nodded, "What would you like me to write, Professor?"

"Oh, of course. I would like you to write 'I will not graffiti the school.' Understood?"

Hermione nodded, thanked her, and left for the transfiguration classroom. On her way there, she couldn't help thinking about what McGonagall had told her. That was the last thing she had expected to come out of her mouth. She couldn't believe her own luck, either. Lines weren't so bad. She reached the classroom and took a seat at her desk where the quill and ink sat waiting for her. The classroom door shut behind her and she began to write. The time went on and on and on. She must have written at least twelve feet of parchment before the door swung open behind her, indicating she could leave. She stood and looked around, wondering what to do with the parchment. All of a sudden, the parchment rolled up and placed itself on McGonagall's desk. Hermione smiled and left the room.

On the way to her dormitory, she heard the clock chime eleven. It wasn't that late either. On tope of that, Malfoy wasn't in the dormitory and Hermione found herself going to bed quite pleased.

After three more days of detention, Hermione was starting to get annoyed.

She sat at dinner complaining to Ron and Harry, "How in the world do you manage to complete your assignments whilst in detention?"

"How would we know?" asked Ron.

"Well, you two get detention all the time."

"That's not true. I've only gotten detention a few times. It's Harry here who usually gets detention."

Harry smiled, "Yeah, that's me. To answer your question, Hermione, I normally just get you to do it."

Hermione sighed, "Well, I would ask you to do the same but since you can't even complete your own homework, I wouldn't expect you to complete mine. I've got to go. It's nearly seven."

"Hey, Herms! Keep your chin up. It's only lines, okay?" Harry shouted after her.

She shouted back, "I'll try."

On her seventh and final day of detention, Hermione was sitting at her desk, still writing lines. It was a very dull punishment, not that she was complaining. There were far worse things she could be doing. Still, after six days of lines, her hand had an ongoing cramp, she had wasted an ungodly amount of parchment, and now she was beginning to think the hours of solitary time had rendered her mad.

All evening, she kept hearing noises to her right and she was starting to believe they were in her head because she was the only one in the room. Even thinking this, she couldn't help glancing to her right every time said noise occurred. She was nearing the end of her evening when she heard the noise again. Customarily, she glanced to her right and nearly jumped out of her skin in fright. She also started screaming bloody murder.

"Calm down! It's me!" said a voice amidst her hysteria.

"Me?" yelled Hermione, "Who the hell is me?"

"It's me, Malfoy!" Draco shouted.

Hermione screeched, "You're 'me?' You are the last person on this planet I would expect to be in here at a time like this. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just got back from home."

"No shit, Sherlock. I meant, what are you doing here in this classroom?"

It was only now that Hermione was able to get a good look at Malfoy. He looked just dreadful. He had bloodshot eyes, disheveled hair and was rocking back and forth, just as mad people do.

After seeing his appearance, she said, "Never mind that last question, answer this one. What the devil happened to you?"

He seethed, "I can answer both questions for you. First, I just got back from home. Yes, my lovely little house where anything can happen. Anything from getting a broomstick every time a new one comes out to getting the cruciatus curse used on you daily because you slept with a mudblood. Second, I'm here because I wanted to let you know how much trouble that damn mistake caused me."

"That's what you're father did to you?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah, that's not all." He turned around and lifted his shirt to reveal a bunch of red scars. "This is what you get in the Malfoy house when you fuck up."

Hermione wasn't in a sympathetic mood, "Why do I care?"

"I'm sure you don't, but you should. I'm going to make you pay for this."

"How is it my fault?" she asked, incredulously.

"You had to graffiti the damn wall! I could have gotten away with the kissing, but the sex… no, that's unacceptable, you damn bitch!"

Hermione wasn't scared so she said, "So what. What the hell could you do to me anyways. I'm not afraid of you."

Just then, the classroom door swung open and the parchment placed itself on McGonagall's desk. Hermione made for the door.

Draco shouted after her, "You're going to regret those words, Granger! Remember, we share a dormitory!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

Hermione didn't know that Draco knew a quicker back way to their dormitory, which was why she was so shocked to see him sitting in the common room's couch.

"How did you get here so fast?" she asked.

"None of your business." He replied, smirking.

She looked around, "What did you do?"

"Nothing, Granger. Now, shouldn't you get to bed? You have a big exam tomorrow in Transfiguration."

"Good night, Malfoy."

She walked up to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and promptly fell asleep.

The next morning Hermione awoke and looked at the time. It was 8:18 a.m. Oh good God! Her exam was at 8:20. Hermione didn't even look in the mirror and just took off to her class. Damn it all to hell, that Draco slipped something in her water glass last night, she was sure. She never overslept, especially the day of a test.

She made it to her class and took her seat right on time. Ron looked at her and nearly choked.

"Hermione, your head. Hermione!"

"Shut up, Ron! The exam is beginning."

Two hours later and Hermione was the first to finish her exam. She waited outside the classroom and every time a student walked by they would look at her and almost die laughing.

Hermione couldn't figure out what everyone was laughing about. Harry walked out of the classroom, over to Hermione and his face was the darkest shade of crimson the world had ever seen.

He said, "Could you go look in the mirror, please?"

Hermione's eyes widened. She ran to the bathroom and when she looked in the mirror, she let out a scream in a pitch that only dogs could hear. Oh that son of a bitch!

There on her forehead were the words, _I give head! 1 Galleon a pop!_

Hermione didn't even attempt to get it off. She knew that the smartest male in their year had probably made it permanent, removable only by him.

Hermione stormed out of the bathroom and shouted at the top of her lungs, "DRACO MALFOY! GET YOUR FUCKING ASS OVER HERE _RIGHT_ NOW!"

Draco could hear her screaming from their head dormitories. He sat down on the couch in their common area and waited for her to storm in.

Hermione stormed in the common room. She was so mad you could feel the electricity shooting off of her in waves.

At the sight of her and her forehead, Draco couldn't help but laugh.

Between chuckles and snorts, he pointed at her and said, "That's a good one, right?"

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A/N 2: Well, I hope you all enjoyed it and I know after how long it took me to update I shouldn't be asking this but... Review, please??? MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!


	4. Paris, Parents and Peppermint Tea

A/N: Hello all! So, I tried to update relatively quick and I feel I've succeeded. (still not up to normal updating speed, but very quick for the pace this story has been going at.) Okay, so this chapter is extremely long. I believe it was 25 pages on my word document. Wow. Anyway, I suppose that's because I wanted to fit everything the title described into the chapter. Oh! I also wanted to say that there are two sentences in French in this chapter. Mind you, my French is a little rusty, so grammatically it might be a little off. Sorry, if you speak it fluently. I'm pretty sure I got the jest, though. If you don't speak it at all, sentence one says, "Ma'am, I'm so sorry." and sentence two says, "Thank you, sir, but no. I should be the one apologizing." Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Also, a very large THANK YOU goes out to all my reviewers. You guys are the best :D

Disclaimer: JKR owns all. Bloody lucky woman, she is. ;)

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****Chapter Four- Paris, Parents and Peppermint Tea****

"Draco! What is your problem? Take it off, NOW!"

He smirked, "No, I don't think I will. This is much to entertaining to let it end now."

"I'm not messing around, Malfoy!" she screeched, "I have three more lessons today that I can't afford to miss!"

"You don't have to miss your classes. By all means, go to them, but I'm not fixing your forehead."

"Why? The joke's over, Malfoy! Everyone already saw it."

"Not happening." he stated in a sing-song voice.

She glared at him, "Fine, but I'll see you in DADA and Potions, and believe you me, you're going to get it."

He snorted, "I doubt it."

"And why is that?"

"Oh, well, because I'm not going."

That concept was completely beyond her.

She repeated, "You're not going? How is that possible?"

He smiled, "Easy. I just don't go."

She said, "You can't skip your lessons. You're Head Boy, it's not allowed."

"Sure it is. I've done it tons of times before."

She shrugged, "Do what you want, but I _will_ get you back for this."

She turned around and headed for the door.

"Hey Granger, where are you running off to?"

She replied, "I'm going to the hospital wing to see if Madame Pomfrey can remove this from my forehead, since you won't."

"Good luck with that."

She sighed, "She's not going to be able to get it off, is she?"

He shook his head.

She stared at him for about a minute and then started bawling. She ran over to him and started hitting him in every place she could reach.

"You. Are. Such. An. Ass!" she squealed.

"Calm down, Granger! I'll take it off!"

She stopped hitting him and cautiously repeated, "You will?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"What's the catch?" she inquired.

He smiled and asked, "Who said there's a catch?"

She put her hands on her hips and said, "It's you. Of course there's a catch."

He chuckled, "Yeah, there's a catch."

"Ugh. Just forget it!"

She started for the door again.

He called after her, "Come with me."

She stopped, "What?"

He repeated, "Come with me today and I'll take it off."

She confusedly asked, "Come with you where?"

"I'm not sure." He answered. "Just don't go to class, come with me and I'll take it off."

She huffed, "Why would I want to go anywhere with you, but more importantly, why would _you _want to go anywhere with _me_?"

He said, "Well, I wouldn't want to, ordinarily, but I have ulterior motives. As for you, it's the only way you'll be able to get that off your face."

She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand and said, "I haven't got a choice, have I?"

He stood, "Sure, you do. Come and go back to normal, or stay and have it stuck there forever."

She grunted, "Fine. I'll go."

He smirked and said, "Fantastic. Go and get some nice muggle clothes. You might need them."

He then headed off to his room to do the same. She went to her room and quickly sent a patronus to Ginny. She didn't know what Malfoy had planned and it was best someone knew where she was and whom she was with. She then gathered a pair of black leggings and a gray sweater dress and headed back downstairs.

He said, "Ready?"

She nodded and quietly followed him out the door. He led her to the statue of the one-eyed witch and tapped his wand to it. The hump opened.

She asked, "How did you know about this? I thought only Harry did."

He looked at her and said, "This is what years of following Potter gives you."

"How is it then, that no one else knows it's here?"

He responded, "I'm not stupid enough to blab about this to anyone. Not even Crabbe and Goyle."

He gestured to the hump and she climbed in. He followed after her and they walked together in silence until they reached Honeyduke's Sweet Shoppe. Instead of walking up the stairs into the shop like she thought they would, he led her out the window of its downstairs cellar.

When they were safely outside he grabbed her waist and pulled her right next to him.

She turned bright red and asked, "What are you doing, Malfoy?"

"Don't get any ideas, Granger. Side-along apparition."

He turned on the spot and they both disappeared with a loud crack. When they reappeared, Hermione quickly stepped out of Draco's grasp and looked around to get her bearings.

She didn't recognize anything around her except for one obvious landmark in the distance.

She turned to Draco and asked, "Malfoy, did you bring me to Paris?"

He nodded, "We're not exactly where I wanted us to be but it's alright. We can walk."

She seethed, "Draco, I hope you didn't think bringing me here would get me to forgive you for what you did. Is that why you brought me here?"

He sighed overdramatically, "Aw, shoot. You caught me, but since we're already here, we might as well enjoy it."

She watched as he wandered off and shouted after him, "HELLO!"

He turned around and irritably said, "What?"

She pointed at her forehead and said, "Well, take it off. I'm not waltzing into Paris with my head like this."

He chuckled, "Oh right, that. I can't take it off."

At these words, Hermione was furious, to say the least.

"Excuse me?"

"I can't take it off," he repeated, "but you can."

"That's ridiculous," she screeched, "If I could take it off, I sure as hell wouldn't be standing here with you!"

He folded his arms and said, "Well, tell me, Hermione, did you even try to take it off?"

No. She hadn't. She had gone straight from the bathroom to their dormitory without even trying to remove it.

He waited for her to answer, "Well?"

She stomped her foot, "No!"

He smiled, "Your fault, not mine."

She ran over to him and started whacking him everywhere for the second time that day.

"You. Are. Such. A. Manipulative. Bastard!"

He pushed her off and said, "Okay, you have _got _to stop hitting me!"

She squealed, "You deserve it! Why the hell am I even here with you right now?"

"Well, I manipulated you and I let you think that I was the only one who could take that off. I also told you that the only way I would take it off was if you came here with me and well, here we are."

She scoffed, "Thanks for pointing out the obvious."

He shrugged, "What? You asked a really obvious question so I gave you a really obvious answer."

"That's not the point."

"Oh, pardon me, then. What is the point?"

She seethed, "The point is, you made me miss my lessons for no reason!"

"And?"

She screamed, "_And_ screw you! I'm going back!"

He grabbed her arm, "Hang on, Granger. Just stay. We're already here. I know this adorable little café, we can go get a cup of tea or something."

She stomped her foot and said, "I can't understand why you have the sudden urge to spend time with me."

He shrugged, "I never have company when I do this. It would be nice for a change."

She eyed him cautiously, "I don't trust you."

He sighed, "It's just a cup of tea, Granger, not an elaborate scheme to fuck you over."

Hermione stood for quite sometime just wondering if she would later regret going with him. What on earth could he possibly do to her here?

She sighed, "Fine, but if you so much as even try to do anything to me, I'll hex those balls right off that tiny thing that you shouldn't rightfully be allowed to call a penis! Understood?"

He quirked his eyebrow at her, "Jesus, woman. Give me some credit, you know it's not small."

"Okay, we've veered into a weird topic…. Moving on."

He nodded, "I won't do anything you won't like, I swear. Now, come on."

She held her hand out in Paris's general direction and said, "Well, lead the way."

He turned around and started walking towards the city, with Hermione following close behind. They did not say a word to each other the entire way there. Hermione was starting to wonder whether she had made the right choice or not.

Finally, they arrived at the café Draco had mentioned earlier. Hermione looked up and read_ L'Astrance__._

She looked at Draco and said, "That's not a café, Malfoy, that's a restaurant! I'm not dressed appropriately for this place."

He replied, "This is why I told you to bring nice muggle clothes. Didn't you?"

She pulled the outfit she'd brought out of her bag and showed it to Draco.

She said, "I hardly think that what I brought will do."

"I agree. Sorry, I should have been more specific."

He snatched the sweater dress out of her hands and quickly glanced at the tag.

He then handed it back to her and said, "Stay here. I'll only be a minute."

"Where are you going?" she shouted after him.

"Just stay there." He responded, disappearing around the corner.

Hermione sighed and crossed her arms. Where in the devil had he gone? She waited and waited and waited some more, when some thirty minutes later she saw him strolling back with a long bag in his hands.

He handed it to her, "Here. Go change."

She looked inside the bag and saw a strapless, black dress that gathered up directly below the breast-line and fanned out from there. It may very well have been the prettiest dress she'd ever seen.

She said, "Malfoy, I can't take this. It must have cost a fortune."

He smirked, "I wasn't going to let you keep it. It's just to borrow for the day."

She glared at him and said, "Oh, my mistake. I'll be right back."

She stormed around the corner to the nearest restroom and quickly changed, furious with herself for having thought that he would be so nice as to buy her a dress. She was also embarrassed for having said anything about it to him at all. When the dress was on, she glanced in the mirror. It really was the prettiest dress she'd ever seen. Pity she couldn't keep it. She sighed and began to walk out of the restroom when she felt something else in the bag. She looked back inside of it and spotted a simple pair of red heels. She smiled and put them on, completing the look.

Hermione walked out of the restroom and back to where Draco stood waiting. He was now wearing black slacks, a red oxford and a black tie.

He smirked at her and said, "Don't you clean up well?"

She cleared her throat and said, "You do, too. You look very…. debonair."

He held out his arm and said, "Shall we?"

She took his arm and let him lead her inside. They were seated immediately at an ideal spot near a window.

When Hermione was settled in, she looked at Malfoy and asked, "Why does this feel like a date to me?"

"Does it?"

She nodded, "Yes, it does. You take me to Paris, buy me a dress and expect me to think it's normal?"

He said, "Oh. Well, I suppose for mudbloods like you, it is rather odd to come somewhere so nice just to eat. For Malfoy's, however, this is quite normal."

She sighed, "Do you have to use every opportunity you get in life to humiliate me?"

"Yes, it's in my nature."

She smirked and said sarcastically, "Right. Since we've established that my horrible muggle parents have no money and could never afford to take me to a place like this, what do you want to talk about?"

He leaned back and asked, "Your parents really have no money?"

She scoffed, "Of course my parents have money! They're dentists. They make quite a fair bit of money. They just don't spend it recklessly, unlike some people I unfortunately happen to know."

"I don't spend money recklessly!" Draco retorted.

Hermione looked around, and then pointedly said, "Well, if you eat at places like this for lunch on a regular basis, then I'd say you spend money recklessly."

"Well, at least I have money to spend recklessly."

She crossed her arms, "So do I. We already covered this topic. I'm not poor."

Draco glared at her and then said, "Fine. We'll change the subject. What do you want to talk about?"

She leaned forward and said, "Look, we _never _get a chance to sit down and have regular conversation, so I'm not going to waste this opportunity. Please, don't get offended when I ask you this."

He raised his an eyebrow at her and cautiously asked, "Yes?"

"Well," she paused for a long time, then continued, "I heard what your father did to you in that classroom."

He sat back in his chair, "Oh."

She leaned further forward and placed a hand on his arm.

He jerked away and harshly whispered, "Don't touch me."

She pulled her hand back and said, "Oh, sorry."

They sat in silence for a while until Hermione couldn't stand it any longer.

"Draco, does it happen often?"

He sneered, "I don't have to talk to you about this!"

She softly said, "I know you don't. It just seems like you don't have many people to talk about this to, so I thought, why not talk to me?"

He looked up at her and she could see the torment in his eyes. She could see how much he wanted his father's approval.

He looked back down at his lap.

"Draco, I hope you know it's not your fault he's like that. You didn't do anything wrong."

The second the words had left her lips, she realized it had been a complete mistake. Draco stood up so fast, his chair clattered to the ground.

He ignored all the faces staring at him and shouted, "What would you know about it, mudblood? You had all the love a child could want as a little girl! I bet mummy and daddy still spoil you! You don't give a shit about my father or myself, so don't pretend like you care!"

He threw some money on the table, quickly glanced around the restaurant and stormed out.

A waiter immediately walked up to Hermione and said, "Madame, je suis si désolé."

Hermione had barely heard the waiter's apology. She looked up at him, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes and finally came to her senses.

She replied, "Merci, monsieur, mais no. Je devrais faire des excuses."

He nodded and stepped back as she stood to leave. She apologized, once more to the maitre d' of the restaurant and walked outside. She found her way back to the restroom and changed into the muggle clothes that she had brought. She put the dress and the shoes back in the bag and began to search for Malfoy.

She did not have to go far. She spotted him, not fifteen meters away, sitting on a bench, hunched over with his head in his hands. He looked so innocent that way, so vulnerable.

She walked over to him and quietly sat down. Neither of them said anything for a really long time. Finally, Hermione placed the bag with the dress in it next to him and stood up.

She said, "Thanks. It was gorgeous. I'm going back."

He sat up and whispered, "Wait."

She turned around and crossed her arms, "Yes?"

He stared at her with a look of pure hatred on his face before grunting, "I'm sorry."

Hermione was genuinely shocked, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

He seethed, "I'm not saying it again, so you either heard me or you didn't."

She took a step towards him, smiled and said, "No, I heard you. I just never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth. I'm making progress."

He looked down at his feet and asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I just mean that I'd really like for us to be friends. I've been trying to accomplish that goal since term began and, well, I'm making progress."

He chortled, "Well, you're just taking amazing steps towards becoming my friend, aren't you?"

Now it was her turn to ask, "What is _that _supposed to mean?"

He shrugged sarcastically and said, "Oh, I don't know. How about fighting with me all the time, writing things on the wall, getting me in trouble with my father and whatever else you can think of doing to me."

She tilted her head, pointed her finger at him and said, "Hey! I suggested we be friends after we, after the, after well, you know! You refused! As long as you continue to play these childish tricks on me, I'll continue to retort!"

He shouted, "I'm the one who's retorting! You're the one who started these stupid prank things!"

Shit. He had her, there.

"Well, you didn't have to respond to them!" Hermione shot at him.

"Neither did you!" He shot back.

She threw her hands up in the air and shouted, "Ugh! You are just impossible to get along with, aren't you?"

He smirked and said, "Yup. That's me."

She huffed loudly and turned around intent on stalking off. Before she could so much as take a step, a large tawny owl flew directly into her face, effectively knocking off her feet and making her shriek in terror.

At the sight of this, Draco doubled over in a fit of laughter. Hermione stood, glared at him and snatched the letter from around the owl's claw. She swiftly read the contents of the letter and proceeded to turn white as a ghost. She continued to read and shrank back to the ground in horror.

Draco witnessed this and approached her, asking, "What does it say?"

Hermione didn't answer. She stared blankly ahead and dropped the letter in her lap.

"Granger. Granger?"

When she didn't answer, he reached into her lap and picked up the letter. He read:

_Dear Hermione,_

_Hello, Darling! I'm so sorry for being so harsh with you in my last letter. I had no idea that you felt that way about this boy. If he really means as much to you as you say he does, I think it best that your father and I meet him. _

_Please bring him round for tea at your earliest convenience. Perhaps during your next Hogsmeade weekend? If that is a problem, I'm sure I could work something out with Professor McGonagall. _

_Also, your father and I wanted to tell you that we were never upset that you had sex with this Draco. We were just upset that you felt the need to hide it from us. If this relationship with him doesn't work out, please do not hesitate to let us know about the next boy that catches your eye. _

_We're looking forward to meeting Mr. Malfoy. _

_Love, _

_ Mum and Dad. _

Hermione hadn't registered the fact that Draco had taken the letter out of her lap, inevitably reading it until she heard him screaming at her.

"What the _fuck _is this all about, Granger? ANSWER ME!"

Hermione snapped out of it and hopped to her feet as fast as she could. She had never seen Malfoy look so angry.

When she still didn't answer him, he yelled, "WELL?"

Hermione took a breath and said, "Malfoy, just calm down and let me explain."

He threw the letter at her and sat down, waiting for her to explain.

She began, "Well, you know how McGonagall said she was sending a letter home after I graffiti the wall? You don't know my parents, Malfoy. My mum flipped out because she automatically assumed that the sex thing was true."

Draco interrupted her and said, "You know, you could've lied."

She put her hands on her hips, "No, I couldn't have. I don't like to lie to my parents. I thought they'd be okay with the sex because they're normally really accepting with stuff like that, but in their first letter to me, they were really upset because I slept with you and I barely knew you."

He said, "So?"

"Well, my parents think that's sort of whorish, so I told them that we were dating and in a fairly committed relationship. I figured I could just tell them that we broke up at the end of next term and that would be that. I had no idea this would happen."

He crossed his arms, "Well, you're just going to have to tell them the truth because, I'm not going."

Hermione looked at him and asked, "Really? You won't go?"

"No! What on earth gave you the idea that I would actually do this for you?"

She sank to her knees, buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

"Hey," she heard him say, "Crying isn't going to change my mind."

She couldn't help it. She just sat there for minutes and just cried and cried.

Some twenty minutes later, she wiped her eyes and stood.

Draco asked, "Why does it matter so much?"

She sat down next to him and said, "Before coming to Hogwarts, my parents were the only people who cared about me. I started showing signs of magic when I was five and my entire family disowned me because of it. It never bothered my parents, though. Even though, at the time, they didn't know what it was, they still accepted me. It was harder for them, than for me because they lost their siblings."

She looked over at Draco and he was staring at her, intently listening.

"Go on."

She continued, "A year later, they put me in primary school. I didn't know how to control my magic and the other children started to alienate me, as well. Next thing I knew, everyone was calling me 'The Buck-toothed Beast from Hades.' You should have seen how excited I was when I got my Hogwarts letter. I knew I'd be around people who were just like me. The first friends I made were Ron and Harry and even that took awhile."

Draco looked confused, "That's why me going to meet your parents matters so much?"

She smiled, "You have to understand that my parents are the only people that were _always _there for me, no matter what was going on in my life. It kills me to be lying to them."

He shrugged, "So, tell them the truth."

She said, "But then they'd know that I lied to them about you."

"Oh."

She looked at him, "You can't just meet them this once? The next Hogsmeade visit is this weekend. We can just get it over with and I'll tell them we broke as soon as term ends."

He groaned, "Why can't you just tell them we broke up now?"

She said, "Well, because I told them that last week was the only time I'd had sex with you and if we broke up now, they'd think I was only dating you so I could have sex with you."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Your parents are psycho. Did you know that?"

She smiled, "Does that mean you'll do it?"

He sighed, "I guess. You owe me, Granger. You owe me, big time."

Hermione screamed and threw her arms around him.

"Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you so much!"

He growled, "What are you doing? Get the hell off me!"

"Oh, my bad." She hopped off of him, "I was just so excited."

"Whatever."

He then looked at his watch and said, "We'd better go. It's nearly four."

He stood from the bench and began to walk back to the field they had arrived in.

On the walk, he asked, "So, did we make nice today?"

She looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, are we over this prank thing?"

She scoffed, "If I had done what you did to me, would you want to get me back?"

He grinned, "I wouldn't if you took me to Paris."

They reached the place they had arrived at and she said, "I don't forgive that easily."

She then turned on the spot and disapparated back to Hogsmeade.

When she got back, she didn't wait for Draco, but continued up the hill to Hogwarts. When she made it to Hogwart's grounds, she was shocked to see Professor Dumbledore leaning against the trunk of a large tree.

She knew she was breaking school rules by being out and she panicked, having no idea what she would say to the old wizard.

Luckily for her, he spoke first.

"Good Evening, Miss Granger. How fares the day?" He asked, with a twinkle in his eye.

She looked at him, confused, but swiftly answered, "Very well, thank you. How about yours?"

He smiled, "Oh, quite delightful. The most amusing thing happened today, though, I don't want to bore you with that. How was your time in old Paris with Mr. Malfoy today?"

At these words, Hermione started choking, but she wasn't quite sure on what.

She sputtered, "You knew?"

He chuckled, "Oh, of course. I'm a clever old wizard, eh?"

Hermione didn't know what else to do so she said, "I'm so sorry, sir. Whatever punishment you find appropriate, I'll gladly do."

He raised his hand, "No punishment is necessary, Miss Granger. You were only doing what you thought you had to do to fix your forehead."

She smiled, "You know, sir, Harry is always telling me how intuitive you are and it is only now I see how correct he is."

His eyes twinkled, "I do enjoy impressing Harry, but I'm not so much intuitive as I am perceptive. There's a big difference."

Hermione nodded, then looked around.

Dumbledore said, "Mr. Malfoy took the Honeyduke's route back into the castle."

She blushed and said, "Very perceptive, indeed."

He smiled, his half moon spectacles glinting in the light of the setting sun and said, "By the way, it's fine to take Mr. Malfoy to visit your parents this weekend. I think Friday should do. Now, run along."

Hermione just stared at him for a second, shaking her head and leaving, but not before saying good-bye to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore watched her walk up the hill and then looked to his left as McGonagall stepped out from behind a tree.

She said, "Do you really think it is acceptable for them do go on behaving like they have without any consequences for their actions?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, it will be fine. Besides, they don't really want to hurt each other."

McGonagall looked at her friend and colleague, "How do you know?"

He tapped the side of his head and said, "Perception."

He then waltzed back up the hill humming the Hogwart's School Song.

By the time Hermione got back to the castle, it was dark and time for dinner. She walked into the Great Hall and spotted her little group of friends over at the Gryffindor table.

She took a deep breath and made her way over to them.

"Hi, guys."

"Oh, Hermione," squealed Ginny, "I'm so glad you made it back alright! I got your patronus and I've been a nervous wreck ever since!"

Hermione gave her best girl friend a hug and said, "I'm alright. Thanks for the concern."

Harry, who was genuinely curious, asked, "So, why did you go away with Malfoy today?"

Hermione proceeded to explain everything that had gone on that day, minus the story about her parents and her run-in with Dumbledore. She didn't want to get into that now.

When she finished, Ron asked, "So, you didn't really have to go with him today?"

Hermione replied, "No, but despite him taking me to Paris, I still want to get him back for what he wrote on my forehead."

Harry chuckled, "I would normally advise you to not, but since McGonagall told you it was okay, go all out."

Ron smirked, "Any ideas yet?"

Hermione grinned, "Yes, and living with him makes it a whole lot easier."

Ginny asked, "Are we going to get to see this?"

Hermione nodded, "Probably tomorrow, in fact."

The four Gryffindors sat at their table grinning, while the unknowing Malfoy sat two tables away.

Later that evening, Hermione was sitting in her dormitory reading a book, already having completed her plan.

Hermione looked up as Draco entered the dormitory.

He said, "You look suspicious. What did you do?"

She smirked, "Maybe something, maybe nothing."

He said, "You know, a wise person would be careful around me. I can always change my mind about tea with your parents."

She said, "Well, consider me a wise person, then."

He looked her up and down and said, "Good."

He turned on his heel and went to bed, leaving a smiling Hermione on the couch.

The next morning, Draco awoke and headed to his first lesson of the day, opting to skip breakfast.

As he walked down the halls, he noticed that everyone who passed him from behind would point at his back and just about die laughing. He would shoot them icy glares and continue down the hall, but Draco was certainly not one for public humiliation. What the bloody fuck had she done to him?

He slipped into the nearest bathroom and examined himself through and through, making sure there was nothing humiliating on him. He could find nothing. Seriously, what had she done to him?

Three hours later and Draco was on his way to Potions, one of the three classes he shared with Hermione. People were still laughing at him as he passed by. She had better have some explaining to do.

When he entered the dungeons, Hermione and most of the other students had already arrived. When he took his seat at the table at in the front of the room, he heard a loud snort come out of a certain Gryffindor mouth. He whipped around and saw Hermione's face pink with laughter. Next to her, were Potter and the Weasel, holding their stomachs and guffawing quite loudly.

He scowled, "What the bloody hell did you do to me this time, Granger?"

Hermione, unfortunately, was not the one to answer him. Hermione, Ron and Harry just about died with laughter when the completely un-amused voice of Severus Snape came out with the answer to his question.

He drawled, "Well, well, young Mr. Malfoy. I'm surprised. Writing something like that on your back surely cannot be good for your reputation, now can it?"

Snape then glided to the front of the class and began to lecture on the complications of putting an improperly crushed something into the something potion (Draco was having a hard time concentrating), while Malfoy tried to hide whatever was written on his back and endure the amusement of several giggling Gryffindor's.

Two hours and 122 Gryffindor house points later, and Snape finally dismissed the students from class. The second they were out the door and Draco rounded on the still guffawing Golden Trio.

"What did you do, Granger?" he shouted.

Seeing as Potions was the last lesson of the day, she figured he had suffered enough.

She said, "Take off your robe and I'll show you."

He scoffed, "No. I don't trust you. And _shut up_!"

The second part of the sentence had been directed at Harry and Ron, who were both pink in the face and hyperventilating.

She retorted, "Fine. Don't trust me and have the rest of the school laugh at you until you figure it out yourself."

He glared at her and reluctantly took off his robe, handing it to her. She then proceeded to put it on. She faced her back to him and waited for him to read the words she had bewitched to stay on his robe. They read '_I ejaculate in under thirty seconds. Is that a record?_'

"WHAT THE HELL, HERMIONE! THAT IS BEYOND FUCKED UP!"

She turned around to face him and couldn't help but snort. His face was an unflattering shade of red. Whether it was from embarrassment or just plain fury, she would never know, but the look was priceless all the same.

"Seriously, Hermione! That's crossing a line!" he shouted at her.

"How the hell is that any worse than making my forehead read that I suck, well… _that_?" she snapped.

He sneered, "Because, you're just a lowly mudblood. I, however, have a reputation to protect. If anything, my statement improved your life."

"That's not true! People have been calling me 'blowy' since yesterday morning!"

Ron snorted quite loudly, as did Harry.

Hermione rounded on them and snapped, "What?"

Ron sheepishly said, "That's sort of my fault."

She crossed her arms, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was just telling Lavender that if you weren't my best friend, I would start calling you that and then she started calling you that and now everyone's calling you that."

Hermione just stared at him, breathing hard.

Malfoy clapped Ron on the back and said, "Well Weasley, that's the smartest thing you've ever done."

Hermione yelled at him, "You shut up."

Draco seethed, "Aw, come on, Hermione. It's not that a bad of a nickname. You, however, made every girl in this school think that I can't last in bed."

She sneered, "The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

He grabbed her arm and hissed, "Did you think after this I would even consider going to your parent's house?"

Harry said, "Hold on a minute. He's going to your parent's house?"

Draco said, "I'm not anymore."

Harry continued, "Hermione, what's this all about?"

Hermione quickly explained the letter from her parents, what she had replied to get out of it and then the letter they had sent in return.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about that sooner. I've been, you know, busy."

Ron pointed at Malfoy and said, "So your parents think you're dating him?"

"Yeah. It's the only excuse I could come up with for sleeping with him."

All three boys said, "Yeah, let's never talk about that… ever."

Hermione was already on edge, so she snapped, "Well, excuse me. I'm sorry I'm so damn repulsive that none of you can even stand to talk about sex with me."

At the same time, all three boys answered.

"You're my friend, Herms. I don't think about you naked…" stuttered Harry.

"I wouldn't say repulsive. You've got perky boobs." blurted Draco.

"No, I liked it. You have soft skin and a butt." mumbled Ron.

Hermione turned bright red.

She mumbled, "Well, that wasn't exactly the response I was looking for, but, you know… okay."

Harry cleared his throat and looked over at Ron and Draco. The two of them seemed to have bonded since they had both slept with Hermione.

Hermione said, "Well, this is awkward. Draco, are you coming with me to my parents, or not? Draco?"

He was standing in front of them, holding his robe in front of him and staring at it.

Hermione snapped her fingers in front of his face and said, "Malfoy!"

He snapped out of it and asked, "How on earth did you manage to do this? You were already gone when I left the dormitory this morning."

"I bewitched all your robes to say that before you got back last night. You can only see it if someone is wearing it."

"Hmm. That's brilliant."

She chuckled cockily, "Why, thank you."

Harry looked at her, "Tea, Hermione?"

"Oh, right. So, Malfoy, are you still coming to tea with me?"

He said, "I still haven't forgiven you for what you just did."

She scoffed, "Suck it up!"

He chuckled, "You're one to talk, 'blowy'."

Harry and Ron started laughing again but quickly stopped after receiving a glare from Hermione.

Ron said, "That's not a fair nickname. She never even did it to me."

Hermione could see the direction this conversation was turning.

She quickly tried to change the subject by saying, "Draco, I really need you to come with me to my parents. Please?"

He paused, smiled and said, "Sure, I'll go." He then turned to Ron and said, "She never gave you one? I got it on the first date."

Hermione slapped him, "It wasn't a date!"

Harry shouted, "You _really _gave him one?"

Draco looked at Harry while rubbing his cheek and nodded proudly, "Yup, and she's pretty damn good at it, too. What, did you think I just made up that thing on her forehead yesterday?"

Ron looked at Hermione, "I can't believe you! You told me you would never!"

She said, "I was drunk!"

Harry was shaking his head, "Too much information, and too much information!"

Hermione looked at Harry and said, "What, it's not like I'm going to do it again."

Draco grinned and said, "I'm not too sure. She just needs a little alcohol in her."

Ron said, "Why are you talking? You don't even like her!"

He said, "I'm still a guy. Just because I hate her doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it."

Hermione shouted, "Can we _please _stop discussing whether or not I'm going give you three head?"

All three boys just stared at her.

"Good. Draco, meet me at the Three Broomsticks on Friday at three and we'll head out from there. Don't be late."

She turned around and stalked off, wondering when it had become okay for her sex life to be open for discussion.

Four days later, Hermione stood at the Three Broomsticks anxiously waiting for Draco. She looked at the giant clock on the wall, which read twenty-seven minutes past three. Draco was supposed to have been here at three. Thank Merlin she had told her parents they wouldn't be there until four. Still, where on the face of the bloody planet was he?

Five minutes later, she let out a deep sigh of relief as she saw him enter. He spotted her and slowly made his way through the sea of people, over to where she stood.

The second he was close enough to touch, she swatted him on the arm with her purse as hard as she could.

"OUCH! What the hell is your problem, Granger?"

"You were supposed to be here thirty-two minutes ago! Where the hell have you been?"

He crossed his arms and said, "If you must know, I wasn't going to come. I still haven't forgiven you for that last prank. That was so embarrassing."

She took a step back, "Well, as far as I knew, you were coming. So, what made you change your mind?"

"I just figured that maybe if I go with you, we could call it a truce."

She said, "That's up to you, not me. The 'prank ball' is in your court, not mine."

"That's true. Fine, then. Let's go."

They walked out of the Three Broomsticks, she grabbed his hand and turned on the spot. They both disappeared with a loud crack.

They reappeared at the end of a cobblestone walkway. Hermione didn't let go of his hand.

He shuddered and said, "Let go, Granger. What are you doing?"

She looked at him and said, "I'm sorry I'm so disgusting, Malfoy, but we're supposed to be dating and madly in love, so we've got to act like a couple, okay?"

He groaned, "Blimey, this sucks, Granger."

She said, "You've got to call me Hermione when we're in there, too, got it?"

He nodded.

"And behave, understood?"

"Yeah, I got it. Let's just get it over with already."

She nodded, took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later and the door swung open. An average height, slender woman with insanely curly hair greeted them.

"Hermione, Darling," came the voice of Mrs. Granger, "I've missed you! Come in, come in."

Mrs. Granger stepped aside and let the two of them enter.

When she closed the door, she turned to Draco and said, "You must be Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione nodded and said, "Draco, this is my mum, Jean. Mum, this is Draco."

Draco put on his warmest, fake smile, extended his hand and said, "Mrs. Granger. How do you do?"

Jean nodded just as Mr. Granger clapped Draco on the back and said, "So, you're the boy who's stolen my daughter's heart, eh?"

Draco glared at Hermione and chuckled, saying, "Well, I guess that's me."

Hermione smirked back at Draco and said, "Draco, this is my father, Theodore. Dad, this is Draco."

Draco held out his hand and said, "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Oh no," said Theodore, giving Hermione a hug, "The pleasure's all mine."

Jean chuckled, "Well then, should we move to the sitting room for a nice pot of peppermint tea."

Hermione said, "That sounds fantastic."

She then grabbed Draco's hand and led him into the sitting room. She sat down on a loveseat and Draco sat down next to her. Hermione's parents followed shortly with a tray of tea.

When they had all poured and made the drinks, Theodore leaned forward and began to grill Draco, as any normal father would.

"So, what are your intentions with my daughter?"

Draco squeezed Hermione's hand as if to say, 'oh you're going to get it.'

He answered Mr. Granger, saying, "Well, sir, I've only been dating Hermione for a short time. It's a little too soon to say, but I can assure you, if things keep going as well as they have, there won't be anything to worry about."

Theodore continued, "You've already slept with my daughter. That's not all you were after in this relationship?"

Hermione started choking on her tea, "Daddy!"

"What, Hermione? It's a valid question."

Draco was chuckling.

He patted Hermione's thigh and said, "It's alright, sweetie. No, Mr. Granger, it's not. I like your daughter quite a bit, I promise I won't hurt her."

Jean was beaming.

She said, "Hermione, could you help me put out some biscuits?"

"Sure, mum."

Hermione followed her mother into the kitchen, a little bit wary to leave Draco alone with her dad.

Her mum turned to her and said, "So, he seems like a wonderful boy. I'm very happy for you, darling."

Hermione chuckled nervously and gave her mum a hug. When the biscuits were ready, they both walked back out to the sitting room to where the boys were waiting.

The time passed easily as they talked about school and the Head Boy and Girl Positions. Hermione was embarrassed as her parents showed Draco pictures of her when she was a child and before you knew it, it was time for them to leave.

Draco had excused himself to the bathroom and Hermione met him there with his coat.

She said, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

He shook his head and answered, "I survived, didn't I?"

They walked back to the foyer where her parents were waiting. Draco shook Mr. Granger's hand and gave Mrs. Granger a small hug.

Hermione smiled at the gesture and said, "You go on ahead, I'll meet you outside."

Draco then did something completely impulsive.

He said, "Alright, sugar. I'll be waiting."

Then out of nowhere, he leaned in and pressed his lips to Hermione's. Hermione didn't react badly, not wanting to tip off her parents. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. She surprised herself even more when she let him enter her mouth with his tongue.

It wasn't until Mr. Granger cleared his throat, that the kiss broke.

Draco and Hermione just stared at each other for a moment before Draco turned and walked out the door.

Hermione turned to her parents and gave them both warm hugs.

Her mom kissed her on the forehead and said, "Behave."

She smiled at them, waved and then went outside to meet Draco.

When she got to where he stood waiting, she grabbed his chin and furiously said, "What the hell was that?"

He pulled her hand off his chin and shrugged, "It was an impulse. You're not really mad, are you?"

She stepped back and said, "I don't know."

He pointed at her, "So you felt it, too, didn't you?"

Hermione was starting to blush, "No, I didn't feel anything."

"Don't lie. You know you felt something."

She was freaking out, "So, what? Does that mean you felt something?"

He said, "I'm trying to figure that out. I don't like you, Hermione. In fact hate might describe it more accurately, so what was that?"

She leaned forward, then hesitated, then boldly pressed her lips to his.

This time he closed his eyes and kissed her back.

He pulled away, "There it was again. What _is _that?"

Hermione snapped her fingers, "It's physical attraction. Because I felt it that time and I hate you, too!"

He nodded, wiping his mouth, "Just physical."

Hermione said, "Okay, this is awkward. I'm just going to pretend this didn't happen."

"Yeah, good idea."

Hermione reached out to grab his hand but then pulled it back.

She said, "You know how to get back to Hogsmeade. You don't need my help. Bye."

She turned on the spot and left him standing there, thinking that she would love nothing more than to kiss his lips all night long.

That thought alone unnerved her.

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A/N 2: Well that was the fourth chapter. I'm still planning on this story to be only ten chapters. Let me know what you thought, please. *humbly begs* Review???


	5. The Letter and the Essay

A/N: Hello everyone. Oh. My. God. It has been AGES since I uploaded. Almost six months. What is the matter with me? I completely understand if you have given up on this story, but I hope you didn't. This chapter is good (I think). Anyway, I won't say anything about the next time I'll update because we all know how slow I've been about doing it. Okay, well, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: JKR Owns All. *nods* Lucky woman!

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Previously: _She turned on the spot and left him standing there, thinking she would love nothing more than to kiss his lips all night long. _

_That thought alone unnerved her.  
_

****Chapter 5- The Letter and the Essay****

Hermione started the trek back to Hogwarts castle trying to get the feel of Draco's lips off of her mind. She sighed. She just needed to get back to the quiet peace of her dormitory and sink into a nice, hot bath.

"Hey," she heard Harry's voice say from behind.

She turned around and smiled, "Hi."

Harry caught up to her and said, "McGonagall asked me to wait in the Three Broomsticks until you came back. How was the dinner with Malfoy?"

She inhaled and said, "It went well. I think we may have dodged that bullet with my parents for a while."

Harry didn't miss her odd tone of voice.

He asked, "Herms, what happened?"

Hermione shook her head, "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Hermione. You're a terrible liar. Now, what's wrong?"

She put her hands in her pockets and shrugged, "I don't know. He was nice."

Harry looked thoughtful, then he said, "He was acting, Hermione. Just look at his behavior from the day you met him. He's a jerk. You look at his behavior the day he meets your parents and he's nice. You do the math."

She sighed, "You're right. It freaked me out. It's normal for him to be terrible but when he's nice, it's just scary."

He patted her shoulder, "Is that all?"

She smiled, "Yeah."

She really didn't want to tell Harry about that kiss, especially because she knew he would get upset. More than that, she also knew that it really didn't mean anything to her. When she and Harry reached the Great Hall, Hermione said goodnight and headed up to her dormitory.

When she arrived, she stated the password and the portrait swung open. Draco was sitting on the couch, reading, as was his habit. Maybe he wouldn't say anything to her and she could have that bath. Of course, she was wrong.

He looked up and said, "So, you bolted off."

She cleared her throat and said, "Yeah, sorry about that."

Draco put his book on the table and said, "So, I need to get back at you for that… 'climax' issue on my robe." He smirked and continued in a mock scary voice, "Beware!"

She crossed her arms and asked, "So, we're back there again?"

He leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.

"Where else would we be, Hermione? Get over it. It was just a kiss and I was being stupid… again."

Hermione sighed, relieved and said, "Good. I didn't need that kind of complication in my life right now."

"Neither did I."

Hermione smiled a radiant smile. "Good night, then."

Without opening his eyes, he replied, "Night, Granger."

Hermione had her bath and went to bed that night thinking everything would be fine, but she didn't know what was going on at her childhood home that very moment.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Granger sat on the sofa, sipping tea.

Jean put her cup down on the glistening coffee table and smiled.

"That Draco seems like a lovely boy. It's a shame we shan't get to spend more time with him until the Christmas Holiday."

Ted looked up from his book and said, "Yes, but there's something about their relationship. I haven't quite gotten my finger on it, but it seems a little odd."

"Really? I didn't notice. Well, hopefully they're still together by Christmas. I wouldn't mind getting to know him a bit better."

"Me neither. Maybe if we wrote a letter to that Headmaster of Hermione's, we could have something arranged. Perhaps a weekly meal or something."

Jean looked thoughtful as she asked, "Would Hermione like it if we forced something like that on her?"

Ted shrugged, "She doesn't have to do it if she doesn't want to."

"Yes, but you know our daughter. She won't say no if we ask."

"Then it comes down to us. Do you really want to get to know Draco better?"

"It couldn't hurt, right?"

He smiled, "Right. Then let's do it."

Jean smiled back. She said, "We should probably let Hermione and Draco know, as well as Dumbledore."

They both headed over to the study and wrote three copies of a letter, each personalized to whomever it was being sent to. They then used the owl Hermione had gotten them for Christmas last year to send the letters on their way.

* * *

From deep in her sleep, Hermione heard a faint tapping on her bedroom window. She rolled over and opened her eyes. As she awakened, the tapping became louder. She sat up and groggily looked at her clock. Red numbers read 12:13. She had only been asleep for a couple of hours. The tapping became more frantic.

"Alright," she grunted, "I'm coming!"

She heaved herself out of the warmth of her bed and stomped over to the window. She was so grouchy that she snatched the letter off the owl's claw and slammed the window in its face before it could so much as hoot. It gave her an affronted look and took off flying.

She opened the letter and her chin dropped as she read:

_Dear Hermione,_

_ Sorry to be owling you (is that the phrase you use?) so late, but your father and I wanted to run something by you. First, we wanted you to know that we thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Mr. Malfoy. He's a splendid boy and we very much approve. _

_ On that note, we wondered, would it be alright if we spent some time getting to know him better? The thought occurred to your dad that perhaps if we asked your Headmaster's permission, you and Draco could join us for supper on Friday evenings. _

_ If it's too soon or you don't want to, you don't have to say yes, but it wouldn't hurt having you around more often. (You know how we miss you so.) We sent a letter to Dumbledore to see if it could be arranged and also to Draco. We didn't want to leave him in the dark. Let us know, darling._

_ With Our Love,_

_ Mum and Dad_

Oh no! She loved her mum and dad but sometimes they could be so nosy. She had always had a hard time saying no to them and if she didn't she just knew Draco would kill her! BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Hermione heard the pounding on her door.

"Hermione! Wake up and get your blooming arse out here right now!"

Hermione sighed and ran to open her door. She turned the handle and Draco stormed in, waving a letter in her face.

"What the fuck is this, Hermione?"

"This wasn't my idea!"

He threw his hands in the air and sarcastically said, "Oh, it wasn't your idea? Well, I'm all calmed down now! I DON'T CARE WHO'S IDEA IT WAS! Fix it!"

Hermione gritted her teeth and said, "First of all, I don't care too much for your tone of voice and second of all, _why _should I fix it."

He exhaled in an affronted sort of way, "Because, I'm not doing it, Hermione. That's why."

"Why not?"

"Because, I don't want to and since we don't _have _to, why would I?"

"But, my parents," she pouted.

"Two things, Granger. First, don't start sentences with the word 'but' and second; don't give me that load of crap about your parents again. You got yourself into this mess and you can get yourself out."

"This," she waved the letter in his face, "Is not my fault!"

"Yeah, sure. Then whose fault was it?"

Hermione crossed her arms and smirked. "Yours," she answered.

"Mine?" he asked in disbelief, "How is this _my _fault?"

"You had to be nice and perfect and act like we were very much in love."

"So?"

"So, if you had just remained the ass-face you are then my parents would have hated you and insisted I break it off."

Furious, he yelled, "Then why didn't you tell me to do that?"

"Because they would have found out the truth. My parents know me well enough to know I'd never date a muggle-hating, smug-faced, pointy-nosed, blonde-haired, cocky-assed fuck-muffin like you."

He quirked an eyebrow at her and asked, "What the hell's a fuck-muffin?"

She cracked a smile at her newly invented insult and said, "That's not the point. I'm going back to bed."

"Oh no you don't. You're not going to bed until you write your parents back and tell them you're not doing it."

"No," she whined, "I've never been able to tell them no."

"Really? You've never told them no before?"

"No, I haven't, and I'm not going to start now."

"Wow, no wonder they love you so much and yes you are going to start now."

Hermione sighed irritably and groaned. They were both so stubborn. She said, "Why do we have to tell them no? Can't we just go? It's only dinner with me and my parents once a week. Is it really so bad?"

He grabbed his hair and he looked ready to pull it out. "You don't think, Hermione! What would I do if my father found out?"

"Oh." She breathed.

Hermione had almost forgotten how terrible Draco's father was. Based on the last interaction she saw between them, Draco might end up dead if his dad found out about this.

"Does he have to find out?" Hermione asked, stupidly.

"Well, obviously I'm not thick enough to tell him but I wasn't going to tell him about me and you and he still found out. What if he finds out about this?"

Hermione exhaled. "I understand why you want me to say no so badly, but I just can't. Please, Draco! There _has _to be a way around this."

He snapped, "No, Hermione. We can't let my dad find out about this. I'm not going to go through that for you. I'm not going to go through that for anyone."

"You know, you should really talk to someone about that."

He flashed her an evil glare and said, "Now's not the time, Granger!"

She watched him walk down the stairs to his desk and grab a quill, some ink and parchment. He placed it on the coffee table, pointed and said, "Write. I'm tired and I want to go to bed."

Hermione sighed in defeat, walked over to where he was and sat. She slowly started to scribble a letter to her parents apologizing profusely for her refusal and swearing that she and Draco would spend Christmas dinner with them. Halfway through the letter she paused and looked up.

She said, "I may have just thought of something that could allow both of us to have our way."

Draco cautiously asked, "And what might that be?"

Her face took on a look of brilliance she always adorned when she thought of something clever.

"In my letter, my mum told me that she was going to ask Dumbledore's permission to do this. Obviously, we can't just go apparating places whenever we please." When she saw the look of defiance on Draco's face, she corrected, "At least, people who follow the rules can't."

"Okay. What are you suggesting?"

She smiled. "I'm suggesting that we both go to Dumbledore in the morning and ask him not to allow it. If he asks why, I'm sure we can come up with a good enough reason. That way, I won't have to say no to my parents because I can blame it on Dumbledore and you won't have to worry about your father finding out because there won't be anything for your father to find out about."

She beamed at him, waiting for an answer.

He looked thoughtful, then he said, "Fine, Hermione, but so help me, if we can't get out of this there's going to be hell to pay."

She smiled and jokingly said, "Alright, you big drama queen. Just go back to bed."

He nodded and climbed the stairs to his room, shutting the door behind him. She did the same, climbing back into bed and drifting into a deep sleep.

Hermione awoke the next morning to Draco pounding on her door, yet again. She rolled over and looked out her window. It was barely light out.

"Hermione!" she heard Malfoy shout, "Get up, get up, get up!"

Now she was mad. What the hell was his problem? Hair askew and furious, she stormed over to the door, swung it open and screamed, "WHAT?"

Draco took a step back and Hermione got a clear view of him. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles forming underneath them. His hair was frazzled and his breathing was staggered.

She rubbed her eyes and asked, "Malfoy, did you sleep at all last night?"

He shook his head. "No. Go get dressed. We have to go talk to Dumbledore right now."

Hermione turned around and looked at the clock. 6:08.

She sighed and grabbed Draco's shoulders. "Malfoy, look at me. It's six a.m. I doubt the Headmaster's even awake. I'm going back to bed. I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"No, Granger! You can't go back to bed. We have to sort this out now because I can't go through with it. Dumbledore _has _to say no!"

"Wait, I'm confused. I thought we sorted this out earlier. Why are you so stressed out?"

"I spent all night having the images of what my father might to do to me run through my head over and over again and I couldn't sleep. That's why we have to make sure Dumbledore doesn't allow this to happen. That's why we _have _to sort this out, now!"

Hermione was still tired and in a quite bitchier mood than normal. She whipped around and forcefully said, "Yeah, that's not my problem. We'll go when I wake up!"

She shut her door in his face.

"You are such a bitch!" He yelled from outside.

She shouted back, "No, I'm a tired bitch. When I wake up, then you can call me a bitch."

She crawled back into bed and fell into a restless sleep.

A few hours later, they were on their way to Dumbledore's office both still extremely furious with the other.

"Look, Malfoy, if we want a chance of talking Dumbledore into saying no, then we're going to have to seem united. We can't be in a fight when we get there."

"I'm a good actor. I'll pretend." He sneered at her evilly.

That was enough for Hermione. "You know what, Draco?" she said quite calmly, "I think I've had quite enough of being treated like this. Argue with Dumbledore yourself."

She turned around and stalked off. Before she had gotten far, she felt Draco's hand grab her wrist.

"Wait, Hermione."

She looked at his hand, then directly at him. She waited for him to speak.

"I'm a prideful person, Granger. I'm not going to apologize, if that's what you're waiting for, but please come with me."

Hermione snapped, "Give me one good reason why I should."

He sneered, "Don't play those kind of games with me. People don't talk to me that way and I don't know why you seem to feel like you have me wrapped around your finger. You don't."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "What do you mean by that?"

He answered, "I know you have Potter and Weasley eating out of the palm of your hand, but you're never going to get me to that point, okay. Stop trying."

She scoffed and said, "That's rich, coming from you! You don't do anything yourself. You bully everyone into doing things for you and then you take credit for their work and blame them for your mistakes. You're just mad because you can't do that to me and if anyone here has people eating out of the palms of their hands, it's you!"

From behind them, they heard a very loud throat clear.

They whipped around and met a long beard that led up to a kind face with half-moon spectacles that were perched on a crooked nose.

"Ah!" said Dumbledore, nonchalantly, "I believe I've run into the very people who were searching for me."

They both nodded. He said, "Well, shall we go to my office then?"

They nodded again as they followed him the remaining distance to his office.

"Pumpkin Pasty." The stone gargoyle jumped aside and all three alighted the moving stairs. No one had said anything since the hallway.

They entered the circular office and Dumbledore took a seat, gesturing for the two seventeen year olds to do the same. Hermione watched curiously as Dumbledore picked up a whirring silver instrument and blew into it. It made no noise (except the whirring) and stopped after he had blown into it.

He chuckled and said, "I'm not sure what that's for. Every now and then, it starts whirring again. It's quite a difficult task trying to concentrate with that sound next to you. I'd move it off my desk but when I do, it whistles louder than the Hogwarts Express. I've only just discovered yesterday that blowing into it stops the whirring, but apparently only for twenty-four hours. I should probably look into that."

Hermione was sure Dumbledore could read the expression on her face and she was sure it was revealing how insane she thought Dumbledore was. She looked over at Draco and saw that his expression was appropriate to having just come from a Cirque du Soleil show. Dumbledore really was quite mad.

Before they could speak, Dumbledore continued, "So, what can I help you two with?"

Hermione glanced once more at Draco and began, "Sir, I'm sure you've already received the letter from my parents asking for permission to have Malfoy and I over for dinner on Friday nights and we were wondering if you could say no?"

He placed his fingertips together and asked, "May I ask, why?"

Draco spoke, "Well, I know you already know that we aren't really dating and you saw how we were just acting in the hall. You can't seriously think this is a good idea, right?"

He chuckled, "It doesn't really matter what I think. As I understand it, Miss Granger can refuse, if she so wishes."

Hermione answered, "Well, Headmaster, that's just it. I've never said no to my parents before and I'd hate to disappoint them. I was just hoping, I mean we were just hoping you could tell them no for us and then the situation would be dealt with."

"Yeah," chimed Draco, "On top of that, I don't want to deal with some of the repercussions that might come my way if my father were to find out about this."

"Repercussions? Meaning?"

"With all due respect, Headmaster, my home life is none of your business."

Dumbledore tilted his head then said, "Well, I'm quite sorry, but I didn't foresee this problem this morning and I already sent Mr. and Mrs. Granger my owl letting them know it was fine."

"What time this morning?" Draco asked.

"Oh, around 6:15."

Hermione glanced at Draco and he looked murderous.

"Before you yell at Miss Granger, Draco, it might interest you to know that if you had come earlier, I still would have said yes to the Granger's request. Based on your behaviors here at school, I think it would be good for you to spend some time together in an environment where you can't freely hate one another." He stood and continued, "Still, the choice remains with Hermione. She can still answer yes or no to her parents. I merely allowed permission to go if she chooses to say yes."

Hermione stood and started out the door with Draco at her heels.

"One more thing, Draco. I shouldn't worry about your father finding out. I've asked Severus to have his luncheons with him at your house, not here. He shouldn't have a reason to come around again."

He smiled a knowing smile at them as they left his curious office.

Draco and Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs and they heard the stone gargoyle jump back into place.

Hermione turned to Draco, her expression saying everything.

His jaw was clenched in rage as he shouted, "No, Hermione! Just say no! One time isn't going to kill you!"

"I'm just as stubborn as you are, Malfoy, and I'm not caving. I'm just going to write them right now and say yes."

He threw his hands up in the air and said, "Fine. Say yes. Just keep in mind that whatever you do, I'm not going and nobody can make me. So when you say yes and I'm not there, you're going to have to tell your parents the truth!"

"Yeah, and do you know what the truth is, Draco? The truth is that _all _of this is your fault! If you hadn't slept with me that night and then _kicked me out _of your room, I would never have written that thing on the wall, your dad would never have found out, my parents would never have found out, you would never have had to meet them and whether you like to admit it or not, you know that we would NOT be in this mess right now!"

When Draco didn't say anything, she continued in a much calmer tone, "You know, I don't see what your problem is anymore. There's no way your dad can find out, so I don't' get it. Isn't this the least you could do?"

Draco shrugged in a very 'I don't care anymore' kind of way. Dejected, he said, "Do whatever you want, Granger. I can't argue anymore. It's just weird, though. For someone who goes to such great lengths to please their parents, I can't believe you keep lying to them about us."

Hermione knew he was right, but that didn't stop her from going to the owlery and sending her response to her parents. It said:

_Mum and Dad, _

_ Draco and I would love that. I've spoken to Dumbledore and he said it was fine as I'm sure he told you in his letter. We'll see you next Friday at six._

_ Much love,_

_ Hermione._

Hermione watched the school's owl fly off with her letter. Her parent's owl, Penny (named after her grandmother), was nowhere to be found. Hermione wasn't surprised after the way she had treated her last night. She stood there hoping that she and Draco could put on a good enough show that in a few weeks they'd be able to 'break it off' and all this lying with her parents could stop. Or maybe that was too much to hope for.

She headed down to the Great Hall, hoping to find a friendly face there just to get her mind off things. Only a few Ravenclaws remained, slowly munching on the remnants of their breakfast. Hermione grabbed a few pieces of dry toast and headed up to Gryffindor Tower. She spoke the password 'pygmy puff' and stepped back as the portrait of the fat lady swung open.

She climbed inside and spotted her two best friends sitting in their usual chairs by the fireplace. They were discussing how disgustingly long an essay by Snape was supposed to be. She joined in the conversation.

"You know, I'm not usually one to complain, but three feet of parchment is ridiculous. How much have you two gotten done?"

Ron groaned, "Six inches. I've got loads more to write and I've used all my knowledge on the subject already."

"Harry, you?"

"A foot. Every time I have to sit through his class, I seriously contemplate becoming something other than an Auror, just so I can drop the damned class."

Hermione chuckled, glad to be in a familiar and comfortable situation again. She, Ron and Harry spent the a good portion of their Saturday completing their Potions essay. Hermione had probably written a good foot and a half for both Harry and Ron's essays, but she didn't mind.

When they finally finished they all stretched their stiff arms and legs.

"Holy mother of a bugger," said Ron through a yawn, "Snape really is trying to do us in, isn't he?"

Hermione smiled and said, "Yeah, imagine what you'd feel like if you had to write the whole thing."

Harry clapped her on the back, "Thanks, Herms. That helped loads."

She tilted her head and said, "Alright, I need to tell you guys something."

She delved into the whole long story about how her evening had gone with her parents, she filled Ron in on the conversation with Harry, told them about the letter from her parents, the conversation with Dumbledore and every little detail she could remember. By the time she had finished, the common room had emptied out and everyone had retired for the night.

Ron was the first to speak, "You know, Mione, I never thought I'd say this, literally never, but I think Malfoy is right. You really should tell your parents the truth."

Hermione sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that. You know, I was sort of hoping that maybe I could just pretend for a couple more weeks and then I could 'break up' with him and my parents would never have to find out I lied at all."

Harry smiled, "You know what they say, 'the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.' Things never happen the way we want them to, Hermione."

Hermione nodded. "I already told them yes, though."

"Then you either come clean, or deal with whatever happens."

Ron smiled, "At least you got to yell at Malfoy."

"Yes," said Hermione sarcastically, "That's an extremely encouraging silver lining."

Hermione stood and said, "Well, it's late. I'd better head back my dormitory and get to bed."

She gather up her books, along with her potions essay and headed towards the door.

"Hey," Harry called, "Maybe this will force you guys to stop hating each other. Dumbledore's got some pretty accurate insights. I wouldn't doubt him."

Hermione did a sort of half grin and said, "Yeah. Night, guys."

"Night." They chimed.

Hermione stumbled up to her dormitory, said the password, dropped her things in the living room, climbed the stairs and collapsed into bed. She fell into a deep slumber that she didn't awake from until the next afternoon.

Monday morning arrived and she hadn't seen Malfoy since Saturday. She got ready and went downstairs. Her stuff was exactly where she had left it Saturday night and she hadn't touched it on Sunday. She gathered it all up and neatly placed it in her book bag, heading for class.

Malfoy was missing from D.A.D.A. and the Ancient Runes class they shared, but he turned up that afternoon in Potions, probably to turn in the massive essay they had been assigned.

They sat through the whole lesson and listened to Snape drone on and on about extremely complex potions that Snape knew only a handful of students could come close to brewing accurately. Finally, at the end of the two hours, Snape collected their essays and dismissed them.

Hermione, Ron and Harry grabbed their things and headed for the door. Before they had left, Draco walked up to them with an ever-growing smirk stuck to his smug face.

Hermione looked up and slowly asked, "Yes?"

Draco's eyes were dancing with laughter as he asked Hermione, "Did you happen to look at your essay before you turned it in?"

Hermione thought that was a ridiculously stupid question. She said, "Of course I looked at it, you half-wit. I wrote it."

Draco nodded with insincere solemnity and responded, "Yes, but you should always check to see that your things haven't been tampered with."

Hermione's eyes widened and she whipped around to look at the pile of essays sitting on Snape's desk.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked in horror.

She could see Ron and Harry's equal expressions of shock.

Draco had an utterly mirthful expression on his face as he said, "Just think of this as the price you have to pay for me to join you for dinner every Friday."

He walked out of the classroom, his shoulders shaking with unchecked laughter.

Hermione walked straight up to Snape's desk and said, "Professor, could I just see my essay, right quick? I just need to check something."

Snape drawled, "You know my rules Miss Granger. Once they hit my desk, they're final. Go."

Hermione turned around in defeat dreading the moment he were to read whatever Draco had done to her essay.

Harry and Ron morosely accompanied her to dinner that evening. Neither of them said anything, not wanting to make matters worse. Halfway through dinner, an extremely stern and partially disgusted looking Professor Lupin walked up to them.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione. How are you all?"

They all indicated they were fine, even though none of them were.

Lupin looked down at Hermione and said, "Miss Granger, I'd like for you to accompany me to Professor McGonagall's office. Myself, Minerva and Professor Snape need to discuss something with you."

Harry and Ron looked at her with wide eyes.

She rubbed her face hard and asked, "Is this about my essay, Professor?"

Lupin turned red as could be and nodded.

Hermione stood on weak knees, glanced at Harry and Ron and slowly followed Professor Lupin.

When they arrived in McGonagall's office, instead of seeing a furious Snape, she only saw his back. He had his head in his hands and he was facing the wall.

McGonagall said, "Thank you, Remus."

Professor Lupin nodded and shut the door to the office.

Hermione was extremely nervous. Professor McGonagall's lips disappeared into a thin line as she said, "Have a seat, Miss Granger."

Hermione sat. McGonagall pulled out what Hermione recognized to be her essay and placed it on the desk in front of Hermione.

She said, "Would you care to explain this?"

Hermione leaned forward and began to read. Words could not describe the embarrassment she felt as she read further and further down the page. In fact, she felt as though she were about to have a visceral reaction.

What she found on the three-foot long parchment was not a thoroughly detailed essay about the 'living-death' potion, but was a three-foot long parchment detailing an extremely sexual fantasy between herself and Professor Snape.

Hermione had never read anything so filthy in her life. It was like reading pornography or maybe worse. The reason Snape was facing the wall, head in his hands, slowly rocking back and forth was quickly becoming clear to her. She felt she'd like nothing more but to rapidly do the same thing.

Hermione looked up at McGonagall, vomit threatening to come out of her mouth and tears threatening to come out of her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came. Instead, she passed out.

* * *

A/N 2: Ha ha ha. That's good right? We'll see what happens next. I know I have no right to ask this, but Review Please? XOXO


	6. Detention and Discussion

A/N: Hi everyone. I won't even mention how long it's taken me to update. I'm SO sorry. All I can say is, if you're still with me on this story, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: JKR owns all, except the plot.

* * *

Previously: _Hermione looked up at McGonagall, vomit threatening to come out of her mouth and tears threatening to come out of her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came. Instead, she passed out._

****Chapter Six- Detention and Discussion****

"- Granger."

Hermione heard her name being called from a distance. It was almost as if she was hearing it from underwater.

"Miss Granger?"

This time it was a bit clearer.

"Ah, there. She's coming to." said a voice she recognized to be Professor Lupin's.

"What happened?" Hermione asked in a hazy voice.

"You fainted." McGonagall said in a tone that did not convey pity at all.

Hermione rubbed her temples and looked up at the stern face of her favorite professor. As the memory of what was written on her 'essay' flooded back to her, it was suddenly clear why McGonagall looked so cross. To be honest, though, Hermione was kind of hurt that McGonagall really thought she was the one who had written the… there was no other word for it… porn. She was just about to say this, but Professor Lupin spoke first.

"Minerva, I'm sorry, but I really don't think she is capable of such filth. You don't really believe it was Hermione, do you? Besides, if she really did write that, why in the name of a holy hippogriff would she turn it in?"

At these words, Hermione nodded fervently.

Professor McGonagall ignored Hermione and said, "Whether or not Hermione actually did write this is beside the point. The real question is, why is something like this being written at all? Things like this shouldn't be going on, which is why I've sent for the Headmaster. I'm sure we all doubt Hermione did this, but we don't have any proof that she did not."

Hermione quietly squeaked, "Excuse me-" but McGonagall interrupted her.

"You don't have permission to speak yet." she said firmly.

"I have witnesses, though."

"Witnesses?" asked Lupin.

Hermione nodded, "Yes. Harry and Ron were with me when I wrote my essay and then they both read it after I had finished."

"Her best friends? Are you really going to trust the word of that pompous Potter and his lapdog, Weasley?" muttered Snape from his corner.

"Do we have any other choice, Severus?" asked Lupin.

Snape glanced at Hermione, turned crimson and grunted, "I suppose not."

"Fine. Remus, would you be so kind as to retrieve Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley for me?"

"Of course."

With a small nod of his head, the only person who seemed to believe Hermione ducked out of the room.

Hermione watched him leave and then turned back to Professor McGonagall. The look of absolute fury on her face was enough to bring Hermione to tears.

McGonagall's expression softened just a bit. "You know, Miss Granger, I don't _really_ believe you to be capable of writing something like this and even if you did, I can't imagine why you would hand it in, but you see, the evidence against you is overwhelming. This is why I've called the Headmaster in."

Hermione was frustrated. "I didn't do it, Professor. You know about this feud going on between Draco and myself. This has him written all over it. Besides, Ron and Harry can tell you about how he told me about what he had done."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, right after I handed in the essay, Draco walked up to me and asked if I had read the essay before I turned it in. I told him that I had, because I wrote it and then he told me I should always check before turning things in to make sure they hadn't been tampered with. Then I went over to Snape and asked if I could see my essay and he said no."

Professor McGonagall turned to Snape. "Is that true?"

He turned around and was very careful to avoid eye contact with Hermione. "Yes." he answered, "She did ask to see her essay and I did say no, but I cannot attest to the rest."

Hermione looked at McGonagall very pleadingly. She said, "It really wasn't me, Professor."

McGonagall sighed very loudly. "I'm sure it wasn't, Miss Granger, but I can't, in good consciousness, let this slide. We are simply going to wait until the Headmaster arrives."

Draco was in for it big time. She shouldn't be getting in trouble for this at all. Draco knew that this prank would involve teachers and why he would stoop to such a level was completely beyond her.

In the middle of this thought, the Headmaster strolled in, looking extremely unconcerned. He popped a licorice snap into his mouth and picked up Hermione's 'essay'. His eyebrows slowly rose as he read and, if possible, Hermione darkened to an even deeper shade of red.

She watched in shame as Dumbledore finished reading and she wished more than ever that Professor Lupin would quickly return with Ron and Harry.

Dumbledore placed the offending piece of parchment back on McGonagall's desk and said, "Merlin's beard! Well, all I can say is, let's hope that fantasy never becomes a reality. Then we'd have an entirely different matter on our hands."

McGonagall, Snape and Hermione spoke all at once.

McGonagall shouted, "This is just completely outrageous!"

Snape yelled, "_That's _all you have to say about it?"

Hermione was now covering her ears and squealing, "Ew, ew, ew!"

Professor Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with amusement. Just then, Professor Lupin returned with the remaining pair of the golden trio.

"Have a seat, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall sternly said.

They took their seats, both giving Hermione looks that conveyed curiosity about what was really on the essay. In response, Hermione just blushed and waved away the unspoken question as if swatting away a fly.

Professor Lupin looked at both boys and said, "We've brought you two in here because there was a problem with Miss Granger's Potions essay. If you'd be so kind as to tell us your knowledge on the matter."

Ron spoke first, "What kind of problem?"

From his corner, Snape whipped around and snapped, "No. We're not going there."

McGonagall smirked and answered Ron's question. "It was… a content issue."

Ron replied, "As far as I remember, it was exactly what was assigned, Professor. I read her paper on Saturday evening after she wrote it. She had just finished hers and I handed her mine so she could fini-" Hermione shot him a warning glare, the last thing she needed was to get caught cheating. He corrected, "I mean, _finally _look over it and see if it sounded alright. I didn't see a problem with it."

"I see, and you, Mr. Potter?"

"Same, Professor. Although, I think you should know that after Potions today, Draco Malfoy walked up to myself, Ron and Hermione and asked Hermione if she had read her essay before she'd turned it in. I don't know if you needed to know that, but…"

Professor Lupin nodded and said, "Thank you, boys." He looked at his colleagues to see if they needed anything else from Harry and Ron. When they indicated that they didn't, he continued, "You are dismissed."

Harry and Ron both gave Hermione apologetic shrugs and walked out of the room. Hermione looked up at her professors and waited for one of them to continue.

"Well, Severus, Minerva, Albus, their testimonies all seem to match."

Hermione smiled, grateful that Professor Lupin was on her side.

"Indeed," answered Professor McGonagall, "There is still one person potentially involved in this from whom we haven't heard."

Professor Dumbledore put a hand in the air as if to stop McGonagall from continuing. "I think we needn't Mr. Malfoy's input in this matter. It is no secret that our two Heads of the School do not get along. Now, I hardly believe that Miss Granger was responsible for this, but that does not mean she is without fault. Therefore, I believe it fit to let Severus assign the punishment. Please note, Severus, that whatever punishment you see fit for Miss Granger will also be given to Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione stared at her Potions Professor. He nodded at the Headmaster and then turned to face Hermione. His black eyes were almost hidden by his greasy hair, but she noted that they were narrowed.

He drawled, "I think that two weeks worth of detention, deprivation of the next Hogsmeade weekend, and an acceptable essay turned in to me by tomorrow should do the trick."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Right, then, Miss Granger. Professor Snape will be letting you know when and where tomorrow to be expected for your first detention. Also, I will be owling Mr. Malfoy to let him know, as well. I should also like to say that although the nearly the whole of the school is aware of your hatred towards each other, I would like to, once again, ask that you keep these acts of violence between yourselves. As heads of House, please remember that it is your goal to promote unity.

"Now, Miss Granger, if you'd be so kind as to step outside for a moment?"

She nodded. "Certainly, Professor."

Hermione left the room and closed the door. She was never fond of people talking about her when she wasn't there, so she pressed her ear to the door but heard nothing. Apparently, the occupants of the room didn't want to be overheard.

Inside the room, however, the professors were discussing the two heads of House.

"I can't believe you are allowing this to continue, Albus. I know you've instructed us not to interfere, but… Poor Severus. I still can't see your purpose in this. Never before have you allowed this kind of behavior." Minerva sternly lectured.

Professor Dumbledore replied, "I understand your apprehensions, Minerva, but as I stated before, they don't really hate each other. The deeper issue here is that from the outside, it appears that they do. Once they realize there is something more there than hate, it will set a good example. What better way to promote inter-house unity than by watching the two most opposed people become friends. I've asked you to not interfere because they need to come to this realization on their own."

"On their own and at my expense." Severus mumbled.

"For that, Severus, I am sorry. I believe we may have taken that issue into control, though. Now that that's settled, Minerva, Severus, I'd like to have a word with Miss Granger in private."

Minerva looked at Dumbledore curiously.

"It's about the Friday night dinners I've allowed her and Mr. Malfoy to have with her parents."

Both professors left the room and Hermione walked back in shortly after.

Dumbledore waited for Hermione to sit before saying, "Hermione, tell me about your relationship with Draco."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. She said, "I really don't know what to tell you about it because, to be honest, it's not all that clear to me."

"You're confused about how you feel about him?"

"No… I'm just not sure I can put a label on it."

"I'm not sure you need to label it, just yet. Let it develop into something first."

"You mean more than friends?" she asked, in surprise.

The Headmaster chuckled, "No, no. Just wait until your relationship turns into something you can clearly label as friends."

She smirked, "No offense, but it might be a long wait, Sir."

"Well, that's up to you, isn't it, Miss Granger. Moving right along, the real reason I called you in here is to let you know that I'd still like for you to attend your dinner this week and next, despite your detentions. However, so as not to violate Professor Snape's punishment, I will be escorting you to Hogsmeade so that you can disapparate from there."

She sighed, "Okay. Thank you, Professor."

He nodded. "You may go."

She stood up and started for the door. Before leaving, she turned around and asked, "Sir, do you think having a fake romantic relationship is really the best way for me and Draco to become friends?"

He had a twinkle in his eye as he replied, "In life, you will find that it is often in the most unlikely of situations that we develop our very closest friends." He then looked at the door to dismiss her.

She walked away in a huff. It was not very likely after this prank that she would become friends with Draco Malfoy. He had crossed a line.

She was sure that Draco, along with the rest of the school, was still at dinner, so she headed back to the Great Hall to find him.

She located him in his usual spot at the Slytherin table, animatedly describing to his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, and his best friend, Blaise Zabini, how he had tampered with her essay. Just as he was delving into one of the stories' nastiest details, Blaise pointed over at her.

Draco turned around just as she was reaching the table.

Hermione crossed her arms and said, "Malfoy. A word, if you please."

He smirked and jokingly said, "Well boys, I'm in trouble now."

"Oh no." she snapped, "They don't even know the half of it."

She then secured a large chunk of his blonde hair into her fist and pulled. Hermione dragged Draco off, while his friends watched with looks of astonishment plastered to their faces.

They had just made it out of the Great Hall when Draco shouted, "Jesus, Granger. Let go of me already!"

"No! Not until we get back to the Dormitory!"

Just then, they passed Harry and Ron in the hallway.

Draco cried, "Potter, Weasley! You know how to handle this woman! Get her to stop."

Hermione quickened her pace and tightened her grip on Draco's hair, giving Ron and Harry looks that warned them not to get involved. They just waved as they watched Hermione and Draco pass by.

"Fuck, Hermione! That hurts!"

"You, shut up." She snapped at Draco.

When they arrived at their dormitory, she let go of his hair, shoved him inside and sharply commanded, "Sit."

He sat. She began pacing the length of the sofa, trying to remember everything she wanted to say to him before she said it. She was coming up with quite an extensive list of reasons to swiftly end his time on the earth when suddenly the perfect plan for revenge entered her mind. She turned to face him. He looked like a puppy that knew he had done something bad, but wasn't entirely sorry for it, and patiently awaiting his punishment.

Hermione took a deep breath and said, "Draco, I hope you know how humiliating that was for me to go through. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. Now, ordinarily, I would be furious with you, but, since neither of us are going on the next Hogsmeade weekend and seeing as we are both spending two weeks in detention for this, I see no further need to punish you."

He smirked and sarcastically said, "Okay, sure."

She crossed her arms, "I'm serious, Draco. It was quite clear to Dumbledore that you were behind this humiliating prank and so he let Snape punish us as he saw fit and left it at that. In lieu of making things worse, I've decided that I'm not going to do anything else to punish you for it."

"So, you're not mad?" he asked, astonished.

She shrugged. "Nope. Not really."

He stood from the sofa, walked over to the small kitchen they had and grabbed himself a water bottle from inside the refrigerator. He took a small sip, placed it on the table and said, "I don't believe you. There's no way you're not mad at me for doing that."

"Well, believe it." she said, innocently.

"This is coming from the girl who ripped on me for a week because I came back from patrolling the halls five minutes earlier than I should have, and you're trying to convince me that you're not mad that I wrote an extremely pornographic story about yourself and Professor Snape and actually let you turn it in?"

"That's right. I'm _trying_ to convince you but apparently not succeeding."

"Well, you can see where I'd have trouble with that."

She laughed. "Draco, I'm not mad. I promise. Besides, Dumbledore already gave an appropriate punishment, so I really don't see the point of adding another one."

"I still don't believe you, Granger. You're up to something."

She sighed. "Fine. You caught me."

"I knew it. You're pissed at me." He leaned on the table and pointed at his index finger at her. "What are you planning? Spill it, Granger."

"No, I'm not pissed at you, but I am up to something."

"And are you going to tell me what it is?"

She blushed. "I want to, but I'm a little embarrassed about it."

"Embarrassed? Quit talking in code to me and just spit it out."

She walked over to him, hopped up on the table, and crossed her legs. "Well, to be honest, that essay you wrote…"

"Yeah?"

"Kind of turned me on a little bit."

"Oh my God! That's disgusting!" he shouted, standing straight.

"It is?" she asked, confused.

"Well, if Snape turns you on, then yeah, it is."

"Ew, no!" she squealed. "That's not what I meant!"

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Absolutely positive. That's not what I meant at all."

"Oh, thank God. So, what did you mean, then?"

She paused for a long time, then slowly said, "I was thinking… that maybe… we…"

"We?" he asked, waiting for her to continue.

"You know."

He looked confused for a second before she saw it dawn on him.

"Oh." he said. "You mean you want to have…?"

She nodded.

"With me?"

Hermione nodded again. She then seductively slid off the table and took a few steps toward him so that their bodies were almost touching.

She placed a kiss on the soft spot right below his ear and whispered, "I'm game if you are."

She turned to go, but she felt Draco's hand grab the back of her shirt and pull. She faced him once more to find his lips crash down on hers.

With their lips still locked, he started to lead her towards the stairs. She pulled out of the kiss and said, "No. Here."

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him over to the couch he had been sitting on before. She pulled him down on top of her and reconnected their lips.

Draco hadn't slept with anybody since that night with Hermione, so he didn't care if he made the same mistake twice. He wanted this.

He tilted her up and pulled off her shirt, while she unbuckled his pants and pulled them, along with his boxers, down to his knees.

He stood from the couch and stepped out of his pants and quickly took off his shirt. When he returned to the couch, he saw that Hermione had already removed her bra and skirt.

She pulled him back down on top of her and started to suck and nip at his neck.

He whispered, "This is the best idea you've had in a long time, Granger."

She replied, "Yeah? Maybe you should write porn stories and show them to me more often, then."

He smirked at her and then bent down to kiss her. They continued to make out while Draco moved his hand to her breasts expertly did things to them.

After a few minutes, he slid his leg in-between hers to open her thighs.

Right when he was about to enter she stopped him and said, "Wait, wait, wait."

"What?" he panted.

"I want to be on top." she said.

"Fine," he said, kissing her neck, "We'll flip over during."

She felt him get in position, but once more, before he could, she stopped him. "No. I want to start it on top. It's better for me."

"Oh my God, woman! You're killing me!"

He lifted himself up so she could get off the couch. She slid out from underneath him, but instead of straddling him, she quickly picked up her clothes and trotted towards the stairs.

Draco sat up and asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

She replied, "As if I would really sleep with you after that you wrote that humiliating essay! Try something like that again and see what happens."

She ran the rest of the way up the stairs, into her room and closed the door.

She heard him yell, "Hermione! That is, hands down, the most FUCKED UP thing you've ever done!" then she heard the bathroom door open and close, and then the shower come on (with cold water, no doubt).

Hermione sank to the floor of her room and said to herself, "Merlin, that boy is freakin' gorgeous. I swear, I should get a medal for that."

The next day, Hermione headed to the dungeons to meet Snape for her first of the 14 detentions she would be serving. She'd only heard horror stories from Harry and Ron about what detention was like with Snape and her steps were shaded with dread.

She was just wondering what he might have her do when she heard an unfamiliar voice say, "Hey, Hermione."

She looked up and was surprised to see Blaise standing in front of her. "Um, Hi?"

He said, "Sorry, I hope you don't mind but I saw you walking by and you've been spending a lot of time with Draco lately so I just thought I'd pop over and say hello."

Hermione smiled. "Oh, okay. Well, hello then."

He gave her a little wave and they stood in awkward silence. Finally, he chuckled and said, "I don't think we've ever spoken before." While she chuckled and simultaneously said, "You're nice. I didn't expect that."

They both laughed and she responded to him, "You're right, we've never spoken before. Maybe we should talk more often and then it won't be so awkward."

He smiled. "True. I'm sorry, I didn't catch what you had said. We spoke at the same time."

She blushed. "Oh, I said that you're nice and I didn't expect that."

He tilted his head in mild surprise. "What? Just because I'm a Slytherin, I'm supposed to be a jerk?"

"No, just because Draco Malfoy is your best friend, you're supposed to be a jerk."

He looked disapproving. "Draco's not a bad guy, Miss Granger. He's just been… dealt some rough cards in his life."

"So have a lot of people, though. That's really not an excuse."

"It is for him. Trust me, he's not mean to you because he wants to be."

Hermione was about to retort but instead, she caught sight of the time and yelped, "Oh! My detention! I'm going to be late. I'm sorry, I have to go."

She took off down the hall at full speed, momentarily glanced back and slammed into Draco.

"OUCH! What the hell, Hermione!"

"Oh God, Draco. I'm so sorry. I was…" She wasn't sure how Draco would react to her talking with Blaise so she said, "Well, I was running late, apparently."

"Yeah, whatever. Just watch where you're going… stupid tease." He continued down the hall.

She jogged to catch up with him and said, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Last night was not okay." He pouted.

Hermione glanced at Draco and smirked. "Oh, come on. You have to admit, it was a good one."

"No. It was a mean one."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And all the things you've done to me were what, acts of kindness?"

"Well, of course not, but what I did was mean to you, not me. This is a one way street, Granger."

"Whatever, Malfoy. At least what I did was between the two of us, at least it didn't involve teachers, at least it didn't get us banned from a Hogsmeade weekend, and at least it didn't get us two weeks of detention with Snape."

He threw his hands up and said, "I don't even know why I'm here. It was your essay. I shouldn't be getting punished."

"Ugh. You are infuriating!"

She walked up to Snape's office door and knocked.

Professor Snape opened the door and without even a glance towards them said, "Tonight, I would like you both to clean the first and second floor boy's and girl's lavatories. No Magic. You'll find all the supplies you'll need in the broom cupboard by the girl's lavatory on the first floor. Filch has left the cupboard unlocked for you. Enjoy."

With that, he shut the door in their faces.

Hermione shot Draco a devilish glare and said, "Nice going involving the teachers, ass."

They walked up to the first floor in silence, gathered all their supplies in silence and began cleaning, in silence. After three hours of scrubbing toilets, sinks, floors and stall doors, they made it to the last bathroom of the night, not having said a word to one another.

Hermione couldn't stop thinking about what Blaise had said to her: _Trust me, he's not mean to you because he wants to be._ She couldn't actually think of a legitimate reason why she disliked him so much. All she could come up with was that he hated Harry and called her mudblood sometimes.

She finally mustered up her courage to break the silence and ask him, "Draco, why do you think we hate each other?"

He joked, "Isn't it obvious? It's because I'm a pureblood and you're a mudblood."

"Ha ha." She laughed dryly. "Seriously, why do you think we hate each other so much?"

He dropped his rag in a bucket of soapy water, wiped his forehead, and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because we hate each other's friends."

She said, "I've never really interacted your friends, though."

He got irritated. "Okay. So, Potter's the problem, then. I seriously hate that ego-inflated prat so much, that anyone that he even associates with, irks me like you wouldn't believe."

She smiled. "So you don't have any specifically ill feelings towards me, then?"

"I do right now. You're being annoying."

"Ass. Good grief, do you like being mean to me?"

"No. It's just the way it is. Look, Granger. You're extremely loyal to your friends… loyal in a way I doubt I'll ever understand, and I'm… Well, I'm a sarcastic, pureblooded, cocky prick, who's never going to like your friends - which is basically a result of my upbringing. It's only natural that we hate each other."

Hermione stood up to gather up the cleaning supplies because they had finished. She responded, "It doesn't have to be that way, though. I doubt you're really as mean as you act. Anyway, I'm going to go put these buckets away and then I have to patrol the halls. It's my night to do it."

She walked towards the door with the buckets and said as she left, "If you want to understand the loyalty I have to my friends, become one of them. Simple as that."

He yelled after her, "Yeah, right!"

It was nearly one in the morning when Hermione returned to her dormitory. She said the password and stumbled into the living room. The fire was about to burn out and she spotted a shirtless Draco asleep on the couch… accompanied by a shirtless Pansy, both covered in a blanket.

An inexplicably fierce jealousy ran through Hermione and she got the urge to walk over and smack him. Instead, she quietly tiptoed past them and started up the stairs.

She was just at the top when Draco mumbled out, "Hermione, is that you?"

"Yeah." She replied.

"Oh. I'm sorry about this. We meant to move into my room after but we both crashed out. Won't happen again."

The same unexplained irritation ran through her and she snapped, "Whatever, Malfoy. I don't give a crap what or who you do."

She walked into her room and closed the door. She had just finished changing into her pajamas when there was a quiet knock on her door.

She knew it was Draco, but she answered it anyway, against her better judgment.

He harshly whispered, "There was no reason for you to get angry, Hermione. It's not my fault you're jealous."

"I am NOT jealous… I just don't like you whoring around in our common room."

"I apologized for that, _remember_?"

She sighed, "Just go to bed, Malfoy. I don't want to fight right now."

He nodded. "Let me say one more thing about our conversation earlier tonight. As long as this ridiculous prank war between us goes on, we aren't going to be friends."

"Well, that ball's in your court now, Malfoy."

He said, "I have a hard time tolerating you, Granger. Friendship's not going to come anytime soon."

He walked back down the stairs and she shut her door. She got in bed and her last thought before drifting off to sleep was that Blaise was completely mistaken when he said that Draco wasn't mean to her because he wanted to be. It was totally on purpose.

* * *

A/N 2: Hope you liked it guys. Because of how long it took me to update, I won't even ask... I just hope it was to your liking :)


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